No. 386 — Basic White Flour Sauce

In a thick-bottomed saucepan, rub together ½ spoonful of fresh butter and one full spoonful of fine wheat flour. Alternatively, melt a solid piece of butter first, then add the flour.

Stir with a spatula over the heat until thoroughly hot, but do not allow the flour to turn yellow.

Gradually add two to three glasses of boiling vegetable cooking liquid, or meat, veal, chicken or fish stock. Bring to the boil, stirring, and reduce to the proper thickness as discussed in the book's general note. Strain.

Add any further required ingredients and bring once to the boil. If additional butter is put into the strained sauce, merely melt it while stirring smooth; do not boil.

If using raw egg yolks, first blend them with a little butter, then pour them little by little into the hot strained sauce without stopping stirring. Heat until very hot, without boiling, strain, warm and serve immediately.

When egg yolks are to be added, the preliminary straining may be omitted; it is enough to strain the sauce once after adding them.

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