Maxfacts

Basic white sauce

A very useful and flexible basic white sauce that can be / needs to be flavoured and varied in many different ways.

Ingredients

• 50 g butter
• 50 g plain flour
• 500 ml milk or stock
• salt and white pepper

Method

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and whisk until combined. Increase the heat to medium and start adding liquid in portions, bring to the boil while continuously whisking until all liquid is added and the thickness of the sauce is as required. Lower heat and keep simmering for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Variations

This basic white sauce is very bland. Add any herbs and/or spices that come to mind, the basic sauce can be made from subtle to rather spicy. Replace some of the liquid by white wine, or by cream (which gives a more delicate flavour), or add a little lemon juice or a small quantity of prepared mustard. You may also use the cooking liquid of vegetables if you prepare a sauce to go with vegetable. To make a simple cheese sauce, add 60 g of finely grated cheese to the cooked white sauce.