How To Make A White Sauce

Here's How:

1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat.
2. Stir in flour. Using a wire whisk, stir the butter-flour mixture until it bubbles. This is called a roux.
3. Cook and stir the roux for 1-2 minutes. This gets rid of the raw flour taste and allows the starch granules in the flour to accept the liquid. Remove from heat.
4. Heat the liquid in a separate pan.
5. Slowly add the liquid to the roux, stirring vigorously with that wire whisk.
6. Return saucepan to heat. Cook and stir over medium heat until the sauce thickens. This process begins at the bottom of the pot, so be sure to stir constantly.
7. When the sauce is thickened and just begins to boil, remove from heat. You've made a white sauce!
8. Click on the link below to find a recipe for a basic white sauce and a few delicious variations.

Tips:

1. Heating the liquid ensures lumps won't form as easily in the sauce.
2. Make sure you cook the flour-butter mixture for 1-2 minutes so the sauce will thicken.
3. Using a wire whisk really is essential. It incorporates the liquid into the roux very well, preventing lumps from forming.

What You Need:

• heavy saucepan
• butter
• flour
• liquid
• wire whisk