Sauce Ravigote (Warm) — Herb and Caper Velouté

Ingredients

• For the reduction
• 100 ml dry white wine
• 50 ml white wine vinegar
• For the velouté base
• 400 ml veal or chicken velouté, well-made
• For the garnish
• 2 tbsp shallots, minced
• 1 tbsp small capers, rinsed of brine
• 2 tbsp fines herbes (chervil, tarragon, chives, parsley in equal parts), all finely chopped, fresh

Method

1. 1
   Combine the white wine and white wine vinegar in a small saucepan. Reduce by three-quarters over medium heat. The liquid should be syrupy and intensely sharp on the nose — if it reads merely tart, reduce further.
2. 2
   Add the reduction to 400 ml of velouté in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes to marry the two elements. The sauce should smell bright and acidic but with the body of a velouté; taste it — sharpness must be pronounced, not polite.
3. 3
   Blanch the minced shallots briefly in boiling water, then drain. They are ready when the raw sulphur edge is gone but the shallot still holds a slight crunch.
4. 4
   Remove the sauce from the heat. Stir in the blanched shallots, rinsed capers, and finely chopped herbs. The sauce is ready when it shows vivid green flecks distributed evenly against the pale velouté — if the herbs have turned olive, the sauce was too hot.