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White Sauce

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma: Cooking at Home"


Recipe Introduction

"This versatile sauce, similar to French béchamel, carries the wholesome flavors of fresh butter and milk. On its own, white sauce is an element in lasagne or other baked dishes. When cheese is added, it becomes a sauce for baked macaroni and cheese."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 cups milk
â—¦ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
â—¦ ½ teaspoon kosher salt


Recipe

In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan, about 5 minutes. Do not let the milk boil or develop a skin. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
Add the flour and stir well until the mixture is pale and ivory, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Whisking constantly, drizzle the warm milk into the flour mixture about 2 tablespoons at a time. The sauce will gradually become smooth. After one-fourth of the milk has been added, you can add the rest more quickly. When all of the milk has been added, the sauce should have the consistency of thick cream. Stir in the salt.

Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until bubbles begin to appear around the edge of the pan and the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 1 minute Taste the sauce; it should taste creamy with no trace of raw flour flavor. (Do not season further, because the sauce will be combined with other ingredients.) If any lumps are visible, strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.

Use the sauce right away, or transfer to a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce. Let cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat the sauce, pour into a heavy saucepan, place over low heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until hot, adding a little hot milk to thin, if necessary.


Makes about 2 cups



Cheese Sauces:
• To make a Cheddar cheese sauce, whisk 2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese into the finished sauce and whisk over low heat until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.

• To make a Mornay sauce, whisk in ½ cup shredded Gruyère cheese and 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese.