Back to Basics: White Sauce

Béchamel sauce is one of the foundation sauces in French cookery. This basic white sauce is one of the most versatile you will learn. The basis of a great lasagne or soufflé, chowder, Mornay, chicken pie or pasta bake, it’s also the perfect way to turn leftovers into something wonderful. No child should leave the nest without mastering it!

Learn the basics and you will be able to throw away the recipe and even make some short cuts, as long as you remember the ratio of roughly equal parts butter and flour to make a roux.

RECIPES VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

The Ingredients

100g butter

½ cup flour

1½–2 cups milk

OPTIONAL: ½ an onion, bay leaf, peppercorns or 2–3 whole cloves

Step One *

In a small pot, gently bring the milk to the boil with the halved onion, 1 bay leaf and peppercorns or whole cloves. Once the milk comes to boiling point, take off the heat and allow the milk to infuse for 5–10 minutes before straining.

*If in a hurry you can miss this step. Note: adding cold milk to your roux increases the risk of lumps forming, so ensure you do this slowly.

Step Two

In a separate pot, melt the butter then stir in the flour until it forms a paste—this is called a roux. Cook out the flour, stirring continuously, for at least a minute.

Step Three

Over a low heat, and whilst continuing to stir, pour in approx. a third of the milk. Once incorporated, slowly stir in remaining milk. By adding the milk slowly you will avoid lumps forming and create a silkier sauce.

Continue to stir until the sauce thickens to the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Mix it Up

Add some whole grain mustard to the milk for a mustard sauce, perfect served with corned beef, pork or leeks, or smeared on bread with some ham and cheese for an amazing toasted sandwich.

Smoked Fish Pie

This traditional dish screams comfort food! Not a real seafood fan, I always knew smoked fish pie would be on the menu if Dad went fishing and came home with a kahawai. If, like me, smoked fish is not your thing, you can replace the fish component with smoked chicken or leftover roast chicken.

500g potatoes (Agria or Moonlight or other floury variety)

125g butter

2 cups milk

½ onion

½ fennel bulb, finely sliced (optional)

½ cup flour

400g smoked fish

1 cup peas (frozen is fine)

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

salt & pepper

3 hard-boiled eggs (optional)

Bring the peeled and chopped potatoes to a simmer in well-seasoned water. When completely cooked through, drain well. Add 25g butter and mash before stirring in ½ cup of milk.

Over a medium to low heat, melt 100g butter with the onion (and fennel if using) in a medium-sized pot. When the onion has softened, add the flour and continue to cook for another couple of minutes. Slowly add the remaining milk, stirring continuously.

When the sauce has thickened, take off the heat and add in the flaked smoked fish, peas and mustard. Check the seasoning and adjust to your taste before pouring into a 1½–2 litre oven proof dish. Half or quarter the eggs and poke these into the sauce.

Top with the mash potato. Using a fork rake the top to make grooves which when baked will get nice and crunchy.

Bake in the oven at 180°C for 35–45 minutes.

MORNAY SAUCE

I’m sure there are more than a few out there who grew up only eating cauliflower if it was slathered in cheese sauce. A Mornay (cheese) sauce is simply a béchamel with cheese.

Keep it basic with some grated cheddar or elevate it with Gruyere, Parmesan or your favourite cheese.

Serve over steamed vegetables, from asparagus, broccoli or, of course, cauliflower. For some added pizazz, finish them off by heating under the grill for a few minutes.

An Alternative Version

2 tbsp oil

½ onion, diced

2 tsp curry powder

1 cup Basmati rice

1½ cups chicken stock

150g (2–3 cups) baby or chopped spinach

100g butter

½ cup flour

1½ cups milk

300–400g smoked fish

1–2 cups breadcrumbs

Heat a pan with the oil and add the onion and curry powder and cook slowly until the onion is soft. Add in the rice, stir well then pour in the stock. Simmer uncovered until the rice is nearly cooked. Add the spinach, stir well, cover and turn off the heat.

Melt the butter in a pot before stirring in the flour. Stir and cook for 1–2 minutes before slowly whisking in the milk. Cook until the sauce has thickened then add the smoked fish. Check and adjust the seasoning to your taste.

Layer the cooked rice on the bottom of a 1 ½ –2 litre oven dish. Pour over the smoked fish sauce then scatter on some breadcrumbs then bake in a moderate oven for approx. 30 minutes.

Love Food Hate Waste Tips

• Use leftover mash potato, kumara or pumpkin for the topping.

• Got leftover smoked fish? Make extra sauce which can be frozen and used at a later date. Spread on slices of bread, roll them up and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake in moderate oven until golden and crispy.

BREADCRUMBS

Home-made breadcrumbs are a great way to make sure bread doesn’t go to waste, whether it’s the crusts no one will eat or the end of that artisan loaf that you just couldn’t eat fast enough.

Fresh breadcrumbs can be made by simply putting the stale bread into the food processor until desired consistency and can be used straight away, whether it’s as filler (think meatballs, meatloaf or home-made burgers) or as a topping.

For dry breadcrumbs, which you can store and use when needed, dry the bread out before processing into crumbs. A great way to dry them out is in the oven after you have turned it off.

Chicken, Leek and Bacon Pie

1 tbsp oil

750g boneless chicken

150g bacon

100g butter

1 leek, finely sliced

½ cup flour

1½ cups stock

1 tsp wholegrain mustard (optional)

sour cream pastry or pre-made flaky pastry

1 egg, lightly beaten

sesame, poppy or fennel seeds

Slice the chicken into bite-sized strips. Heat a large pan with the oil and brown the chicken in batches. Set the browned chicken aside and in the same pan add the butter, bacon and leek. Sauté slowly until the leeks are soft. Add the flour and mix well. Cook for a minute or

two before slowly adding the stock, stirring continuously at the same time.

When the sauce has thickened, add the mustard and chicken.

Roll the pastry out and line an approx. 20cm pie dish or 6 individual pie tins. Fill with the chicken and leek filling before topping with the remaining pastry. Crimp the edges to seal. Brush the top with a beaten egg and sprinkle with seeds.

Bake at 180°C for 35–45 minutes or until golden brown.

Tip – Metal pie tins will always give you the best result as they conduct the heat better than glass or ceramic.

SOUR CREAM PASTRY

2 cups flour

200g cold butter, chopped

½–¾ cup sour cream

Put the flour and chopped butter in a food processor and process till it resembles fine breadcrumbs. With the motor running add ½ a cup of sour cream slowly, more if it is not coming together. You want it to form a ball.

Leftover pastry can be frozen for another time or get the kids involved letting them roll out their own shapes and fill with jam for a jam tart they will love!

VELOUTÉ SAUCE

Replace the milk with good quality stock (I love using Restore Bone Broths) and you have a lighter sauce perfect for pies, chowder …

Flavour it by adding peppercorns for a sauce over steak or pork chops. Or enrich it with a dollop of mascarpone or crème fraiche at the end.

Mac n Cheese

Is there anything better than a plate of Mac n Cheese? This is my go-to dish when anyone needs a care package. I often make a huge batch, divide it into ovenproof dishes and freeze so there is always some on hand when the need arises.

While perfectly fine without, some added bacon is also nice; simply add it in when cooking the onion and leeks.

2½ cups uncooked macaroni

100g butter

1 onion, finely diced

1 cup leek, finely sliced

1/3 cup flour

2 cups milk

1½–2 cups cheese *

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add salt and then the pasta. Cook until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-sized pot and then add the onion and leek. Cook gently for 10 minutes or until the onion and leeks are soft.

Add the flour, mixing well and continuing to cook for 2–3 minutes before adding ½ a cup of the milk, stirring continuously to avoid getting lumps. Finally, add the remaining milk and cheese and continue to cook and stir until the sauce is thick. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Drain the cooked pasta and mix with the cheese sauce. Pour this into an oven proof dish and top with the breadcrumb topping. Bake in a moderate oven until the crumbs are golden brown and macaroni is bubbling.

*I use whatever combo of odds and ends I have in the fridge.

BREADCRUMB TOPPING

150–200g bread (I used day-old sourdough)handful of flat leaf parsley25g cold butter, choppedextra cheese (Parmesan, including the rind, or Brie work well)

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and mix until a fine breadcrumb consistency.

Cheese Soufflé

A soufflé seems daunting but it really is just about getting the basics and perhaps your timing right. If you plan to serve it at a dinner party, prepare your ramekins and cheese sauce ahead of time, adding the whipped egg whites just before you pop them in the oven. Once cooked, serve immediately.

The recipe below makes six 1-cup capacity dishes, perfect for an entrée, or four 1½-cup dishes, making a great lunch-size dish.

100g butter, plus a little extra for greasing dishes

½ cup flour

1 cup milk

1 cup grated cheese (a sharp cheddar is perfect)

2–3 tbsp grated Parmesan

pinch of cayenne pepper

4 (size 7) eggs, separated

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Generously grease the dishes with butter, ensuring you get every angle. Place in the fridge to chill.

Melt the 100g butter in a small pot. Add the flour and cook, stirring continuously for one minute.

Gradually add the milk while continuing to whisk over a low heat until the sauce thickens. Take off the heat and mix in the cheeses and cayenne pepper. Add the egg yolks one at a time, stirring well between each.

In a clean, dry bowl beat the egg whites until they form firm peaks. Fold a quarter of the beaten egg whites into the cheese sauce mixture. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites being careful not to lose too much volume.

Spoon the mixture between the greased dishes, place on a baking tray and bake for 20–25 minutes. Don’t be tempted to open the door to check the progress until the last five minutes, simply watch them grow through the window.

Once cooked, place on plate with a rocket salad and a dollop of your favourite relish.