How Do You Make a Classic White Sauce?


Quick Answer

White sauce, also known as Bechamel, consists of a roux of butter and flour with milk whisked into it. The Food Network and Betty Crocker provide recipes on their websites.

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How Do You Make a Classic White Sauce?
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Full Answer

Betty Crocker's recipe is a basic starting point and is seasoned simply with salt and pepper. The site offers a variety of alternatives for the sauce, including adding ground mustard, curry powder or dill and nutmeg. It suggests using the sauce with seafood, chicken, vegetables or in casseroles.

The Food Network provides a slightly more complex recipe. It requires the cook to boil the milk with bay leaves before adding it to the roux. Additionally, the recipe uses garlic and suggests laying plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent the formation of a skin. The site recommends using this sauce with seafood, vegetables and egg dishes. The recipe also is marked with suggestions for changing the consistency of the sauce to pair it with other entrees such as beef or Welsh rarebit.

Argo offers a different technique for preparing white sauce. Instead of creating a roux, milk is combined with cornstarch and heated until smooth. Then the butter and seasonings are added. This variation can be made in the microwave or on the stovetop. Argo recommends adding cheese, dried beef, vegetables or chicken for additional flavor.

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