lorax

This is a classic French-style roux sauce, which although it sounds daunting, is actually very very easy to make. I like it on Cauliflower or other cruciferous veggies, as well as Artichokes and Asparagus.... If you don't eat it all in one sitting, put it in a little tupper in the fridge, and let it set. It makes a fantastic spread.

Ingredients
* about 1/2" of butter off of a pound block
* flour, about 1/4 cup (varies by altitude). Being where I am, I use Quinua flour, however regular white flour is the traditional ingredient.
* 1/2 C dry white wine; I like a German Qualitasswein for this. However, any cheap dry white plonk will do. I have made this very successfully using the dregs of box wine. You can also substitute Brut Champagne or Spumante, especially if you left it open at a party and it's gone flat. Only, make sure it's Brut at the very minimum.
* 1/2 C cream or full-fat milk.
* About 1/2 C of Parmegiano Reggiano, in fine shreds. (see below for cheese notes!)
* a dash of mace.
* a dash of parsley.
* a dash of dill.

Kitchenware required
* A saucepan with sufficient capacity for 1 1/2 cups of sauce
* A wire whisk
* The stove
* Possibly a rotary-style cheese grater, depending on the state of the cheese you're using.

Method
* Melt the butter in the saucepan unti it's just liquified - do not allow it to separate. If you have trouble with this, add a drop of lemon juice. Remove from the heat.
* Whisk the flour into the butter until a thick paste forms. Use just enough flour to make the paste; you don't need the rest for now. This is the roux.
* Add the cream and wine, and return the sauce back to low heat. Whisk briskly until the roux is fully dissolved in the liquids. Add the mace and spices.
* Once the mixture is at a low boil, begin adding the cheese, bit by bit, and constantly whisking to make sure nothing sticks. Continue until your sauce is fully cheesed.
* Keep stirring until it reaches your desired consistency. Serve immediately!

Really horrid, snobbish people (and really expensive restaurants) sometimes transfer the final sauce to a fondue pot to keep it at the desired consistency throughout the entire dining experience. I prefer to let it congeal as I eat it, because the flavour changes subtly as it cools.

(cheese notes) To vary the flavour and texture of the sauce, you can also use Peccorino Romano; I also sometimes substitute or just throw in a semi-dry, sharp goat's milk cheese called Amalatea. Experiment with your cheese! Any of the full-mature or semi-hard cheeses, grated finely, will work in this sauce. The maximum number I've ever blended was 7 types (Parmesan, Romano, Old White Cheddar, Amalatea, Belpaese, Fruilano, and a few crumbles of Goatsmilk Feta.) The amount of cheese used determines the strength of the sauce, as well as the final bouquet. More cheese also makes the sauce thicker.

Chironex

I think we can use this instead of bernaise on the potatoes and lamb on a stick. My mouth is watering.

__________________
Scot

saltydad

Lorax, this sound delicious! Can't believe no one saw it until now.

__________________
Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men"

"Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon





"If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal."
John F. Kennedy, September, 1960


http://flickr.com/photos/saltydad/ and
http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad
http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/

lorax

There's a variation if you like mushrooms. Before you do the roux, boil about 12 sliced large mushrooms in about 1.5 C water until they lose their water. Remove that from the saucepan and make the roux. Reconstitute the roux in the mushroom water (with the mushroom slices in it) and add a dash of cream.

This variation of the sauce is best with gouda and parmesan as the cheeses, and lots of fresh basil.

Lagniappe

"Fully cheesed"....I have a new saying!
I shall apply this, out of context, and whenever possible, to confuse the hell outa my pals.
BTW....My D.Niño is nearly fully cheesed!

momoese

Sixwing

Sounds fantastic - I'm going to have to try this!

Edit: Tried it, liked it... yummmm.
A little roux goes a long, long way.