Classic White Sauce

Hi everyone!  I apologize for not posting yesterday!  I had business in San Francisco, so by the time that was done, I had to rest and do schoolwork.  Oh well, here I am, as eager as ever to share a recipe with you!


Today's recipe is super simple, but it's a recipe that every home cook should know how to follow:  how to make a classic white sauce!  (pictured above with ravioli, asparagus, and shrimp)

Remember when I talked about a faux roux?  Well, today's recipe will teach you how to make a for real roux.

I want to apologize because in the post that I linked to above, I told you what a white sauce was and not what a roux was.  So to clarify, a roux is a thickening agent typically comprised of butter and flour.  A white sauce is basically a dairy-based sauce that is thickened with a roux.  Since this white sauce recipe only requires a few ingredients, each ingredient has an important role that I want to walk you through.

1.  The Flour

The flour is used to thicken the sauce.

2.  The Butter

Like the flour, the butter in a white sauce is used to thicken the sauce.  In addition, the butter adds umami.  (Remember that?)

3.  The Milk

The milk adds volume to the sauce and adds creamy, velvety richness that harmonizes perfectly with the butter.

4.  The Salt & The Pepper

The salt in this recipe accentuates the richness of the sauce and makes it taste complete.  The slightly spicy pepper helps cut the richness of the sauce so as to not overwhelm the palate.

5.  The Garlic Powder

Garlic powder delivers the pungent flavor of fresh garlic without any of the chunks.  Like the pepper, it also helps to cut the richness of the sauce.

So there you have it!  An all-purpose base sauce recipe that can be used in a variety of ways.   I slightly tweaked the recipe from this cookbook.

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Classic White Sauce
  • 3 T. butter
  • 3 T. all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cups milk
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
1.  In a sauté pan, melt the butter over low heat.
2.  Add the flour and whisk to combine with butter.
3.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.
4.  Remove from heat.
5.  Gradually stir in the milk, then add the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
6.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
7.  Boil and stir one minute.
8.  Enjoy, storing leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.



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