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Basic White Sauce

Salsa di Besciamella

Mary Ann Esposito

Makes 4 Cups

Besciamella, white sauce, is more frequently associated with northern Italian cooking and is used in oven-baked pasta dishes like lasagne, or with vegetables or fish. It can be made ahead and refrigerated for 3 or 4 days but will thicken as it sits. As you reheat it, thin the sauce, if you wish, with a little milk.

The basic recipe does not have the addition of herbs or spices. Those ingredients should be added after the sauce is cooked and should be tailored to the dish being prepared.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup King Arthur™ Unbleached, All-Purpose Flour
4 cups hot milk
Fine sea salt to taste
Ground white pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat; do not let the butter brown. Whisk in the flour and cook it until a uniform paste is formed and no streaks of flour remain. Slowly whisk in the milk in a steady stream. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring slowly until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

item recipe is featured in Episode 902 of Season 9.

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