Cheese Sauce (Mornay Sauce) 🧀
Maxine will make her first variation on bechamel too in this lesson, turning the humble white sauce into a morish cheese sauce, called Mornay.
Ingredients
- 15 g butter
- 15 g plain flour
- 250 ml warm milk
- Salt & white pepper to taste
- 100 g grated Cheddar cheese or a mix of Cheddar & Gruyère
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard optional
Instructions
Prepare béchamel sauce:
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw taste (this is the roux).
- Gradually add warm milk, stirring continuously to prevent lumps.
- Simmer for a few minutes until thickened, then season with salt, pepper
Add cheese & seasonings:
- Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted.
- Add mustard for extra depth of flavor.
Notes
Cheese should be added to a Mornay sauce off the heat to prevent it from separating, becoming stringy, or developing a grainy texture. High heat causes the proteins in the cheese to break down and the fats to separate, resulting in an undesirable sauce consistency. Gently stirring the cheese into the already-cooked béchamel base, while the sauce is still warm but not simmering, ensures the cheese melts smoothly and creates a creamy, luxurious sauce.