Cheese sauce
White sauces are really easy to make and are generally used to coat veggies or variations like a mushroom sauce or mstard sauce for meat and fish. I usually use a plain white sauce over poached smoked haddock for breakfast and it’s become a staple breakfast. There is a cheese and a mushroom sauce below. This amount of sauce should be enough to smother veggies, meat or fish for 4 people.
The basics are that you use the same amount of flour and butter.
Basic white sauce (Bechamel)
What you need for 250ml sauce
1 heaped tablespoon butter
1 heaped tablespoon flour
250ml milk
Salt and pepper
The process
Heat the butter in a pan over a medium to low heat until the butter is foamy.
Add the flour and whisk constantly for about 2 minutes. You want to cook the flour but not brown it.
Then begin adding the milk in a stream whicking constantly until the lumps have dissapeared and the sauce is smooth and glossy and begun to thicken nicely.
Season with salt and pepper.
That’s the basic sauce done.
If you are going to let it stand and want to prevent a skin forming, take a lump of butter and with a fork melt a little over the entire surface.
A classic spinach and ricotta lasagna use bechamel or a light cheese sauce
Cheese sauce
Make the bechamel and add 4 tablespoons of grated cheese. if you are using a strong cheese like parmesan or gruyere taste after each tablespoon.
Whisk until completely melted and smother you favorite veggies, eggs, fish…..
Easy hey!!!
Mushroom sauce
take about 60g off finely sliced mushrooms and add 2 tablespoons of water, a squeeze of lemon and season with salt and pepper. Gently simmer them until they are soft.
Add the bechamel sauce
Smother a steak or quick roasted chicken pieces…
Simple and delicious.
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Hi Graham I tried to make a 3 cheese sauce(cheddar, feta and blue, holiday left overs)with some pasta last week came like a stiky paste.I made it in the microwave will try it on the stove top hope it comes out better, thanx
Hi Belinda, cheese thickens the sauce very quickly and some cheeses more so than others, next time add more milk to the white sauce and add the cheese gradually until you get the right consistency. Cheers for now G
Hi Graham
well wishes to you
i own a resturant and take away and i have wone wonders with the suaces over the weekend thank to you.
kind regards
Rowaidha
Hi Rowaidah, so glad you and your customers have enjoyed, have a successful week. Happy days G
JUST ONE WORD – WOW!
Thanks Rowaidah, makes a big difference when you have the right start.. Have a lekker day G
Hi Graham,
Tried out this sauce with a pasta dish last week. Added a little grated parmasen cheese as well as some mushrooms (from the mushroom sauce bit of the recipe), was really delicious except I think I added too much flour so it was too thick. Gonna give it another go soon!
Great Josh, the extra parmesan may have absorbed some of the liquid so it would depend on how much you added. Let us know how your next attempt goes. Cheers for now G
Hi Graham I make a good cheese sauce in he microwave it is quick and no pan to wash but I must admit the proper “cooking” of the flour and the making of the roux on the stove is far better – a little tedious but you can defnitely tast the difference in sauces.
Go on, you can do it in future, it’s only a couple of minutes extra.. Cheers G
Exactly Graham a basis is always a great beginning, also great to pop in and see whats cooking:)
I agree… Cheers
This from Diana by email
“My creamy mushroom sauce is the easiest thing to do.
Fry your sliced mushrooms add long life cream, thicken with Corn Flour in a little water and it is done. Delicious.”
Anyone else have a suggestion or comment?
Hey Graham,
I am so bad with sauces like really bad .. I get all hot flushes if it doesn’t start getting thick
) so thank you for a fool proof (me) recipes for sauces!
Sammy
Hi Sammy, you are so welcome, to saucy times!!
Graham, this is just how I do my sauces, the basic and then changing then to what they are needed for.
Hey Kim, Thats what I was hoping to get across, a basis and then make it your own. Nice to have you back Kim.