Allemande Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 batch Velouté base (A pale, smooth stock-based sauce thickened with a roux — typically made from chicken stock and butter-flour roux. Prepare or source this before beginning.)
• 1 to taste Chicken essence (A concentrated chicken flavouring — use a good quality concentrated chicken stock or reduced chicken broth as a modern substitute.)
• 1 to taste Chopped mushrooms (Finely chop the mushrooms before adding. Button or cremini mushrooms work well.)
• 1 to taste Yolks of eggs (Used to thicken the sauce. Temper the yolks carefully to avoid scrambling them.)

Instructions

1. 1Pour your prepared Velouté base into a medium saucepan. Place it over low-to-medium heat and warm it gently, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula. Do not let it boil. You want it hot and fluid but not bubbling aggressively.
2. 2Once the Velouté base is warmed through, stir in the chicken essence to taste — add a small amount first, taste the sauce, and add more if you want a stronger chicken flavour. Then add the finely chopped mushrooms. Stir everything together and continue to cook gently over low-to-medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have softened and their flavour has infused into the sauce, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
3. 3Crack your eggs and separate the yolks from the whites, placing the yolks into a small heatproof bowl (you will not need the whites for this recipe). To prevent the yolks from scrambling when added to the hot sauce, you must temper them: using a ladle, slowly pour a small amount of the hot sauce into the bowl with the yolks while whisking constantly and vigorously. This gently raises the temperature of the yolks. Repeat with a second ladle of hot sauce, continuing to whisk. The yolk mixture should now be warm to the touch.
4. 4Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the sauce, stirring constantly as you do so. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Continue to stir the sauce gently and consistently for 2 to 3 minutes. The sauce will thicken noticeably as the yolks cook through. It is ready when it coats the back of a spoon — draw your finger across the spoon and the line should hold cleanly. Do NOT allow the sauce to boil at this stage, as this will cause the yolks to curdle and the sauce to split. Remove from heat immediately once thickened. No cream is needed.
5. 5Once thickened, taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed. Pour or ladle the Allemande Sauce immediately over your dish, or transfer to a warm serving jug. Serve straight away while hot. If the sauce sits too long off the heat it may develop a skin — to prevent this, lay a piece of baking paper or cling film directly on the surface of the sauce until ready to serve.