Alexander Sauce Recipe (Velouté)
A creamy, elegant French sauce made with velouté, white wine, and herbs—Alexander Sauce transforms simple poultry, veal, or fish into a restaurant-worthy dish with timeless flavor.
Alexander Sauce
If you’ve ever sat down to a proper French meal and been gently stunned by a silky, rich sauce draped over tender chicken or veal, there’s a good chance it was Alexander Sauce—or Sauce Alexandre as it’s called in its native culinary tongue. It’s not flashy or trendy, but it has quietly held its ground in fine kitchens for over a century, and for good reason.
This sauce is a creamy velouté-based classic, born out of the great French sauce tradition. It’s made with a base of light stock—usually chicken or veal—thickened with a roux, then gently enriched with white wine, a touch of cream, and often shallots and mushrooms. Some variations stir in a whisked egg yolk for extra richness, a technique known as a liaison. Add a handful of fresh tarragon or parsley just before serving and you’ve got something refined but deeply comforting.
The flavor is gentle but layered—mild stock sweetness meets the mellow bite of shallots and the faint fruitiness of the wine. The cream smooths everything into this balanced warmth. When you taste it, it feels like the kind of sauce that doesn’t try to impress with boldness—it wins you over with elegance.
It coats the tongue softly, doesn’t overwhelm, and makes whatever it touches—be it a poached sole, seared chicken breast, or veal medallions—taste like it was always meant to be dressed in luxury. You can practically hear it whispering “bon appétit” with every bite.
Serving it is simple, though presentation matters. Spoon it lightly over protein, or serve a pool of it underneath. It’s not a ladle-it-on kind of sauce. You want to let the main dish shine, while the sauce plays that perfect supporting role. I’ve even used it as a warm drizzle over sautéed mushrooms on toast, and it turned a simple snack into something café-worthy.
Storage-wise, it holds up better than you’d think for a cream sauce. If you make a batch, keep it in the fridge in a sealed container for up to two days. Reheat slowly over low heat—don’t boil it, or the cream and egg yolk (if used) might split. A little extra splash of cream or stock while warming can bring it right back to life.
From a nutrition standpoint, it’s not exactly a “light” sauce—but it’s not over-the-top either. It's richer than a wine-only sauce, but far gentler than, say, a béarnaise or Alfredo. Plus, since it's used in modest amounts, it adds just enough indulgence without drowning the plate in calories.
What I love most about it, honestly, is its versatility. You can go slightly herbal or add a touch of lemon juice for brightness. Some chefs riff on the classic by adding chopped mushrooms to build depth. Others will reduce the wine a little longer to give it more backbone. The key is balance—nothing should dominate.
If you’re new to French sauces, this one is a gentle entry point. It teaches technique without being fussy, and the results feel high-end even with basic ingredients. The most common mistake? Rushing it. Let the wine reduce, let the sauce gently thicken. You’re building layers, not just cooking down liquid.
Meanwhile, there are two very different “Alexander Sauces” out there, depending on the culinary context you're talking about. And that’s where people often get confused. Here's the real talk, no fluff:
🍽️ 1. Classic European "Sauce Alexandre" (French Origin)
This is the old-school, French-derived cream sauce—served in gourmet kitchens and used in Continental cuisine. It's typically elegant and mild, made for veal, poultry, or white fish. Sometimes it includes:
- Shallots
- Butter
- White wine
- Cream
- Maybe mushrooms or herbs
Very refined. Think old hotel menus or a posh restaurant in Europe in the 1950s.
👉 It’s named Sauce Alexandre after royalty or nobility, as was the style in French cuisine—much like Sauce Robert, Sauce Bercy, etc.
🍤 2. Pappadeaux’s Alexander Sauce (American Cajun-Creole)
Totally different flavor profile. This one is bold, rich, Southern-style, with a seafood twist. Pappadeaux made this one famous. It usually features:
- Grilled salmon
- Shrimp
- Crawfish
- Scallops
- Garlic
- Cajun seasoning
- Heavy cream
- White wine or lemon
- Butter
It’s spicy, saucy, and incredibly indulgent. Served hot over blackened fish or pasta. You’ll never confuse the two once you’ve tasted this.
We're talking about the French Alexander Sauce here, go here for Pappadeaux’s Alexander Sauce.
In my opinion, Sauce Alexandre is what every weeknight cook should learn if they want to turn plain chicken or fish into something memorable. It’s not hard to make, and once you get it right, you’ll start finding excuses to make it again—trust me on that.
Go ahead and give it a shot—check out the recipe below, and let this old-school French gem elevate your next home-cooked meal.
Recipe
A silky, refined French-style sauce made from velouté, white wine, cream, and herbs, Alexander Sauce is perfect for poultry, veal, or poached fish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups chicken or veal stock
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- ¼ cup finely chopped button mushrooms
- 1 egg yolk (optional for extra richness)
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or parsley
Instructions
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in the flour to make a white roux. Cook for 2 minutes without browning.
- Gradually whisk in the stock until smooth. Simmer on low heat until it thickens slightly, about 8–10 minutes.
- In a separate pan, sauté the shallots and mushrooms in a touch of butter until soft, then deglaze with white wine and reduce by half.
- Combine the mushroom-wine reduction with the velouté. Stir in the cream and let simmer gently for another 5–7 minutes.
- If using egg yolk, temper it with a spoon of the hot sauce, then whisk it back in off the heat to avoid curdling.
- Season with salt and white pepper, stir in fresh herbs, and serve immediately over your choice of poultry, veal, or fish.
prep time with cook time.
Serves 6 and contains approximately 183 calories per serving.
French / Sauce, Dinner
Rated 4.9 by 214 reviewers.
Recipe Tags: Alexander Sauce, French velouté, Sauce Alexandre, white wine cream sauce, velouté derivative, classic French sauces, poultry sauce, veal sauce, mushroom cream sauce, French dinner recipes
Published by: Crisprecipe
Recipe Video
This is a video about Alexander Sauce.
Servings
Serve Alexander Sauce warm, just spooned over the top or under the protein—don’t drown the dish, just grace it. It pairs beautifully with:
- Seared chicken breast or veal medallions
- Poached or pan-roasted white fish like sole or cod
- Sautéed mushrooms on toast or steamed asparagus for a lighter, elegant touch
Use it right before serving for the best flavor. And if you're plating fancy, swirl a little on the plate first, then place your protein on top. Simple, classic, perfect.
Tips
Here are my best tips if you're making Alexander Sauce:
Don’t rush the roux—cook it just enough to remove the floury taste, but don’t let it brown. You want a pale, silky finish.
Use good stock. A light homemade chicken or veal stock makes all the difference. Store-bought works in a pinch, but choose a low-sodium one and reduce it slightly for more flavor.
Reduce your wine properly. Let it bubble and mellow before adding cream. It balances the richness and sharpness.
Never boil the sauce once cream or egg yolk is in. Gentle heat keeps it smooth. High heat will split or curdle it.
Finish with herbs just before serving. Tarragon or parsley lifts the whole thing—don’t add them too early or you’ll lose that fresh pop.
If you're storing leftovers, reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of cream or broth if it thickens too much.
And one last thing—taste as you go. The sauce is subtle by nature, so adjusting salt and acidity at the end is key.
Ingredient Substitutes
If you're short on something or want to tweak the recipe, here are solid ingredient swaps that won’t compromise the soul of Alexander Sauce:
- Chicken or veal stock → Vegetable stock (for a lighter or vegetarian version), or mushroom broth for added earthiness
- Dry white wine → Dry vermouth, non-alcoholic white grape juice + splash of white wine vinegar, or even lemon juice with broth for acidity
- Heavy cream → Crème fraîche, evaporated milk, or coconut cream (if dairy-free—though flavor will change slightly)
- Shallots → Finely minced red onion or white onion in small quantity
- Mushrooms → You can omit if unavailable, or use finely chopped oyster or cremini mushrooms for more depth
- Tarragon or parsley → Chervil, dill, or even fresh thyme (sparingly) depending on the main protein
- Egg yolk → Skip it altogether if you want a lighter or egg-free sauce—the cream still gives good body
Just keep the balance of cream, stock, and wine right, and the sauce will still sing.
Remarks
Alexander Sauce is one of those quietly powerful recipes—rich, classic, and surprisingly adaptable. Master it once, and you’ve got a go-to finish for countless elegant meals.