Why it works: Butter and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 12,525 recipes. Both carry trans-2-decenal, which smells waxy, orange. The science ↓
Velvet Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Make the base
Melt one ounce butter, add two tablespoonfuls flour and stir well.
Moisten with one quart good veal or chicken stock, add a 1/10 teaspoon of Star Crystal Baking Powder.
Add flavourings and cook
Add bouquet, one-half cup of mushroom liquor, six whole peppers, one saltspoonful salt, a suspicion of nutmeg.
Boil for twenty minutes, stirring continuously.
Remove to side of fire, skim well, and simmer very slowly for one hour.
Finish
Strain and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 8 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Veal | not in our table | 0 |
| Liquor | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Butter + mushroomtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,525 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
-
Mushroom + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together13,580 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Veal + mushroomtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,446 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Flour + mushroomtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,253 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Fat that cooks with the flour to form a roux, enriching the sauce and carrying flavour.
- Flour
- Starch that thickens the liquid into a smooth, velvety body.
- Veal stock
- Liquid base that gives the sauce its body and savoury meat flavour.
- Mushroom liquor
- Concentrated mushroom juice that adds earthy depth and savoury flavour.
- Whole peppers
- Whole peppercorns that release a gentle, warm aroma during the long simmer.
The step that matters
Boil for twenty minutes, stirring continuously. A flour-thickened sauce can scorch on the bottom or form lumps if left unattended. Constant stirring keeps the starch dispersed and evenly heated as it thickens, giving a smooth, velvety texture.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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