White Sauce Variations

By GratefulSea

How to turn a standard white sauce into an Caper Sauce, Cheese Sauce, Curry Sauce, Herb Sauce, Mushroom Sauce, Mustard Sauce, Nut Sauce, or Onion Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups milk
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Put the butter or oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When that's melted/hot whisk in the flour. Reduce heat to low (tip: if using an electric stove, and a second burner already set to low, and move the pan over), and continue whisking until the mixture darkens to a golden color, about 3 minutes.

Add one cup of the milk, slowly, while whisking constantly, allowing the sauce to become thick. Slowly add more milk, bit by bit, until the sauce is slightly thinner than you'd want. It will thicken as it continues to cook.

Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. You may also keep the sauce warm in a double boiler over gently simmering water; stir occasionally.

VARIATIONS:
FOR CAPER SAUCE: during the last minute of cooking, add 1 Tblsp or more of capers.

FOR CHEESE SAUCE: add 1/2 to 1 cup of grated Swiss or Gruyere just after sauce has thickened.

FOR CURRY SAUCE: Add 1 Tblsp curry power along with the flour.

FOR HERB SAUCE: Stir in any minced herbs, fresh or dried, during the last minute of cooking.

FOR MUSHROOM SAUCE: replace milk with chicken stock, and use the mushroom soaking liquid for part of that mixture; ad 2 Tblsp reconstituted dry mushrooms in the last minute of cooking.

FOR MUSTARD SAUCE: during the last minute of cooking, add 1 Tblsp prepared mustard.

FOR NUT SAUCE: before adding flour, cook 2 Tblsp pine nuts in the butter until lightly browned.

FOR ONION SAUCE: before adding flour, cook 1/4 cup minced shallot, onion, or scallion in the butter until softend.