A silken white sauce enriched with cream and velouté, traditionally served with poached poultry or delicate quenelles. Its name evokes refinement, and its execution reflects the precision of classical French technique.
FR / EN
Sauce à la Suprême / Supreme Sauce
Regional Style
Haute Cuisine / Parisian Palace Style
Servings
Serves Four
Ingredients
- 250 ml chicken velouté (see below)
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 20 g butter
- Salt, to taste
- White pepper, optional
- Lemon juice (a few drops, optional)
To prepare chicken velouté:
Make a blond roux from 20g of butter and 20g of flour. Whisk in 250 ml of rich chicken stock and simmer gently until lightly thickened.
One tablespoon is approximately 15 milliliters (ml), and a teaspoon is approximately 5 milliliters (ml).
Preparation Method
Prepare the Velouté Base
In a saucepan, gently warm the freshly made chicken velouté. It should be smooth and lightly thickened, with a pale golden hue.
Enrich with Cream
Add the heavy cream and stir until thoroughly blended. Bring the sauce to a low simmer and cook gently for 5- 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not allow the sauce to boil once the cream is incorporated.
Finish the Sauce
Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with salt, and if desired, add a dash of white pepper or a few drops of lemon juice for brightness. Strain the sauce through a chinois or fine mesh sieve for a velvety finish.
Serving Suggestions & Garnishes
This sauce is classically paired with suprêmes de volaille (boneless chicken breasts), poached poultry, or veal. It also accompanies quenelles de volaille, blanquette, or delicate mushroom-based dishes. Garnish with a few leaves of chervil or a thin shaving of truffle in haute presentations.
Tips, Tricks, and Variations
To make it even more luxurious, add a spoonful of reduced mushroom liquor or a few drops of poultry glaze. A Sauce Albuféra is derived from this by adding meat glaze (glace de viande). The texture should coat the back of a spoon without being overly thick.
Historical & Cultural Context
Developed in the late 19th century and codified by chefs like Escoffier, Sauce à la Suprême became a defining element of the service à la russe tradition, where individual courses were presented with precise garnitures. It exemplifies the polished aesthetic of French cuisine under the Third Republic and was especially prized in grand hotels and diplomatic dining rooms. Its simplicity masks technical finesse.
