Basic White Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk or cream
Salt and white pepper to taste
Melt butter add flour, stirring until well mixed, do not let brown, gradually add milk while stirring so not to lump. Pour into saucepan and cook over low heat, stir constantly until thick.
Season with salt and white pepper. Sauce can be thinned by using half of the butter and flour. It can also be made thicker by using twice the amount of butter and flour. Low heat and stirring are secrets of success.
White Sauce Variations
* Asparagus Sauce: Add 1/2 cup cooked or canned asparagus, cut into small pieces, to hot medium white sauce. Serve with omelettes or souffles.
* Caper Sauce: Add 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped capers and 1 teaspoon lemon juice to white sauce. Serve with fish.
* Cheese Sauce: Add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped or grated cheese and a dash of Worcestershire sauce or paprika (optional) to white sauce. Stir over hot, not boiling, water until cheese is melted. Serve with fish, eggs, macaroni, or rice.
* Cheese Olive Sauce: Prepare think white sauce and omit salt. Add 1/2 to 1 cup chopped or grated American cheese and 1/2 cup stuffed olives to white sauce. Stir over hot, not boiling, water until cheese is melted. Serve with macaroni, rice, or vegetables.
* Cheese Tomato Sauce: Use 1/2 cup tomato juice or strained tomatoes and 1/2 cup milk in preparing medium sauce. Add 1/4 cup grated or finely cut American cheese to hot sauce. Stir until melted. Serve over cauliflower.
* Crabmeat Sauce: Remove bony particles from crabmeat and add 1/2 to 1 cup flaked canned crabmeat to seasoned medium white sauce. Flavour with 1 tablespoon dry sherry wine if desired.
* Cream Onion or Celery Sauce: Saute 1/4 cup finely chopped onion or celery in 1 tablespoon butter or margarine. Add to 1 cup medium white sauce.
* Creole Sauce: Use tomato juice or strained tomatoes for the liquid. Saute minced onion, chopped green pepper, and minced celery in the butter before flour is added.
* Curry Sauce: Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon curry powder with dry ingredients. Serve with chicken, lamb, rice, or fish.
* Dill Sauce: Add 3 tablespoons minced fresh dill to 1 cup hot sauce, seasoned medium white sauce.
* Egg Sauce: Add 2 chopped hard-cooked eggs to white sauce, additional salt, and a dash of paprika. Serve with fish.
* Goldenrod Sauce: Add 2 chopped hard-cooked egg whites to 1 cup seasoned medium white sauce. Pour over fish and sprinkle with chopped hard-cooked egg yolks.
* Green Pea Sauce: Add 1/2 cup hot cooked or canned peas and 1 tablespoon chopped pimento to hot medium white sauce. Serve with omelettes or salmon or tuna loaf.
* Horseradish Sauce: Add 2 to 4 tablespoons prepared drained horseradish, and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard to white sauce. Serve with boiled beef or corned beef.
* Lobster or Shrimp Sauce: Add 1/2 to 1 cup canned or cooked lobster meat or shrimp, cut into small pieces to seasoned medium white sauce. For added flavour, add a tablespoon dry white wine. Serve with omelettes, baked, broiled, or poached fish.
* Milanese Sauce: Use 1/2 cup veal stock and 1/2 cup milk in preparing medium white sauce. Add 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese to the thickened sauce. Serve with veal.
* Mock Hollandaise Sauce: To 1/2 cup well seasoned white sauce, add equal amount of mayonnaise and enough lemon juice to sharpen. Serve on asparagus and other green vegetables.
* Mushroom Sauce: Add 1/2 to 1 cup sliced cooked or canned mushrooms to white sauce. Serve with chicken or vegetables.
* Mustard Sauce: Add 1 tablespoon prepared mustard to white sauce. Serve with fish or tongue.
* Oyster Sauce: Gently cook 1/2 cup small oysters in their own liquid until they plump and edges begin to curl, about 5 minutes. Add to hot medium white sauce. Serve with omelettes, fish patties, and timbales.
* Paprika Sauce: Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon paprika with dry ingredients. Season with 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice, if desired. Serve with noodles, macaroni, or chicken.
* Pimento Sauce: Add 1/4 cup chopped pimento to white sauce; 1/4 cup green pepper may be added if desired. Serve with fish or vegetables.