Easy Peasy White Sauce

AKA Béchamel Sauce

By Gail Foley

With the advent of electric appliances, I gave up that convoluted mess of frying flour in butter and then trying to mix in the milk without making lumps. Also known as making a “roux”. Get real! Until the power goes out, or you really need that browned flour, you can revert to the classic method. My method is easier, quicker and low-fat. Only an elite gourmet palate could tell how I cooked my flour! And I barely miss the butter, especially since this is usually the base of a recipe, not eaten for itself.

The cooking times are based on a microwave power of about a 1000 watts. Newer microwave ovens are often of higher wattage. Adjust the power level to 70% or so, if the flour cooks too quickly into a hard layer in the bottom of the bowl. If by some circumstance, your microwave oven only cooks at 700 watts or so, then lengthen the cooking times accordingly.

For thin white sauce use 2 tablespoons flour. For a thick white sauce, use 1/3 to ½ cup flour.

If you have to have butter, just throw it in the blender and whiz it with the milk and flour. It will melt quickly in the microwave and stir right in.

Once you learn how your microwave cooks, this recipe is easy-peasy!

Yield: 2 cups

2 cups milk

¼ cup flour

Dash of salt and ground white pepper

Pour milk into blender, measuring by marks on side of blender jar. Add flour, salt and pepper. Cover and stir until blended, about 30 seconds.

Pour into 6 cup glass microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir with whisk, scraping sides and bottom of bowl and breaking up any lumps that may have formed.

Microwave for 1 ½ minutes. Repeat stirring with whisk.

Microwave for 1 minute. Repeat stirring. If still not done, cook another minute or so as needed to achieve desired thickness.