Bercy

Fish velouté built on a shallot and white-wine reduction, finished with cold butter. The classic sauce for anything poached in its own stock.

40 g — shallot

150 ml — dry white wine

400 ml — fish stock

25 g — butter

25 g — plain flour

40 g — butter

8 g — parsley

Sweat the shallot in a little butter without colour, add the wine and reduce until the pan is nearly dry.

Add a fish velouté made from the poaching stock and simmer ten minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the cold butter cube by cube — the sauce gains gloss and body without thickening further.

Finish with chopped parsley. Bercy is served at once; reheating drives the butter out.

Poached sole, cod, mussels, any white fish cooked in wine.