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Sauce suprême

Name: Sauce suprême
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: French recipes
Ingredients: 25g salted butter; 1 garlic clove, finely grated; 2 shallots, finely sliced; 1 thyme sprig; 1 bay leaf; 100ml dry white wine; 500ml chicken stock; 400ml double cream; 50g crème fraîche; Juice ¼ lemon; 25g chopped herbs (such as tarragon, chervil, parsley, lovage, chives)

By: Adam Byatt

Published: 6 Mar 25
Updated: 12 Mar 25

Chef Adam Byatt shares his stellar recipe for sauce suprême. This French ‘daughter’ sauce is made by enriching a velouté with cream or crème fraîche and lemon.

Adam says: “This is a great base sauce to have in your armoury, fab with all kinds of poultry. You’re best off using fresh chicken stock here or poaching a whole bird and using the cooking liquid. The sauce will also take wholegrain mustard well but, most importantly, it can be made with fish stock instead; the same principles will yield a wonderful fish velouté, perfect for poached trout or salmon.”

Adam launched Trinity, in London, in 2006 and the restaurant has a Michelin star. He opened Bistro Union in 2011 and his Clapham triumvirate was completed by Upstairs At Trinity. He’s also chef director at Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair. Follow Adam on Instagram @adambyatt

Once you’ve mastered sauce suprême, check out Adam’s recipes for beurre blanc and perfect peppercorn sauce.

Easy
March 2025

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6
Prep time 10 min. Cook time 1 hour

Chef Adam Byatt shares his stellar recipe for sauce suprême. This French ‘daughter’ sauce is made by enriching a velouté with cream or crème fraîche and lemon.

Once you’ve mastered sauce suprême, check out Adam’s recipes for beurre blanc and perfect peppercorn sauce.

Gluten-free

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 402kcals
Fat: 41g (26g saturated)
Protein: 3.2g
Carbohydrates: 1.5g (1.5g sugars)
Fibre: 0g
Salt: 0.4g

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Ingredients

25g salted butter
1 garlic clove, finely grated
2 shallots, finely sliced
1 thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
100ml dry white wine
500ml chicken stock
400ml double cream
50g crème fraîche
Juice ¼ lemon
25g chopped herbs (such as tarragon, chervil, parsley, lovage, chives)

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Method

Put a wide, deep frying pan over a low heat. Add the butter, garlic, shallots, thyme and bay with a pinch of salt, which will draw the moisture out of the shallots and slow the cooking. Cook for 8 minutes until the shallots are soft but not coloured.
Pour in the wine and leave to simmer until fully evaporated (about 10 minutes). Pour in the chicken stock, turn the heat up to medium, then leave to simmer until reduced by two thirds.
Add the cream and crème fraîche, turn the heat down to low and cook for 12 minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from the heat, squeeze in the lemon juice, taste for seasoning, then pass through a fine sieve into a jug. Stir in the chopped herbs, then serve.