500ml milk,
30 gr butter,
40 gr flour,
good pinch of ground nutmeg,
Salt and freshly ground pepper.
Preparation:
Place the butter in a medium sized saucepan on low medium heat and warm gently until it has melted. Make sure that you do not burn the butter. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. This mixture is called roux.
Cook the roux for two minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the milk, bit by bit. Completely incorporate each tablespoon of milk before you add more. Once you reach a creamy consistency add the remaining milk at once. Using a whisk stir vigorously to make sure you have no lumps. Cook the sauce for approximately 10 minutes or until you reach the desired consistency. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the seasoning until completely combined.
Allow the sauce to cool for a couple of minutes before using in another recipe.
“This sauce is very versatile and goes well with fish, meat and vegetables.
Be creative and enhance the flavor of your sauce, using infused milk for instance. Add a bay leaf or an onion, warm the milk and let it stand for at least 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf or onion, add the milk to the roux and proceed according to the recipe.
If using the sauce for a vegetable gratin why not add some cheese for instance Gruyere, Stilton, provolone or Parmesan. Add mushrooms, or salmon to fill in crepes, the options are never ending!”
For 4 persons.
Style: Mediterranean.
Difficulty: Medium.
Preparation time: 5 minutes.
Cooking time: 15 minutes.