White Sauce Recipes - How to Make White Sauce for Lasagne, Fish, Pasta

White sauce or Béchamel sauce is widely used in French and Italian cuisine. It also forms the base for other sauces, for example Mornay sauce, which is Béchamel with cheese. It is traditionally created by gradually adding milk to a white roux, which consists of equal parts or flour and butter by weight. When the mixture almost boils the flour thickens the sauce. The final thickness depends on the proportions of milk and flour. There are lots of variations.

While it is a simple concept there are several tricks and tips which will help to make a perfect white sauce every time. This article discuss the basic white sauce as well as various variations including a vegetarian version, a sauce made with wholemeal flour, a vegan version and a gluten free version.

Basic White Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 to 2 cups of warmed milk (depending on the final thickness required)
Grated cheese- 4-5 tablespoons (optional)

Step 1. In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat.

Step 2. Blend 2 tablespoons of flour into the melted butter.

Step 3. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Step 4. Stir the flour into the butter to create smooth even paste, which is known as a roux. Stir frequently to cook the flour and remove any raw-flour taste. Don't allow the mixture brown. This will generally take 1-3 minutes depending on the temperature.

Step 5. Turn down the heat to medium-low and remove the pan off the heat. Add a quarter cup of warm milk, stirring well. The roux will begin to absorb the milk and as the cells of starch heat-up and burst, and the sauce will gradually thicken. Continue adding the milk slowly over a low heat, keep stirring until the sauce is the consistency you want. Usually you will aim for a sauce that will just coat the back of a spoon, but it depends on the dish.

This is the hard part as no lumps should be formed. Beware that you need stir thoroughly right to the bottom of the pan and in the corners. The thickening won't start until the mixture gets quite hot and starts from the bottom. This is how lumps form. If some lumps form, remove the pan from the heat and stir them out using an egg whisk.

Step 6. The secret to achieving a smooth, lump-free sauce is to warm the milk first and to stir thoroughly and constantly, especially as the mixture gets hot. After a few tries you will learn the technique. If lumps form and they matter to the dish you can pass the sauce a food sieve. You can ad various flavours it at this stage, if you like. The flavours will infuse into the mixture and add a depth and character to the finished sauce.

Tips and Variations

• For thicker white sauce, follow the basic recipe, but use 3 tablespoons of flour and 3 tablespoons of butter. Thick white sauce is used dishes such as soufflés.
• For thinner white sauce, use 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of butter. Thin white sauce is used in cream soups.
• For very heavy white sauce, increase the roux ingredients 4 tablespoons of flour and 4 tablespoons of butter. Heavy white sauce is used for binding croquettes.
• To make the classic Béchamel sauce, after adding the milk for a medium white sauce add a bay leaf, 1 small onion with 3 embedded cloves and half a teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg.
• Light chicken stock, light cream, or various combination of both many be substituted for the milk. You can also use soy milk or other dairy substitutes. You can also add grated cheese.
• Add more flavor by seasoning with nutmeg, a teaspoon of lemon juice, celery salt, chopped onion, sherry, or a few tablespoons of chopped parsley and chives.
• You can use wholemeal flour if the brown color is not a problem
• Fore gluten free white sauce use Sweet Rice Flour or a Gluten Free Flour Mix
• There is an optional reverse method - You can heat the milk first, blended the flour and melted butter, cool it slightly and the roux to the milk. Keep stirring the milk constantly while adding the roux to prevent lumps. Heat to just below the boiling point and cook for 1-3 minutes or until the mixture thicken.
• You can use olive oil instead or butter or margarine. It is easier to handle as butter can easily burn

© janderson99-HubPages

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