Traditionally used in English cooking, cheese sauce has been a great success around the world. It is excellent for flavoring a large number of dishes, from pasta to french fries. By following this quick and easy recipe, you only need a handful of ingredients and a few minutes to enjoy an excellent cheese sauce.
Ingrediants
- 110g cheddar or other cheese of your choice
- 45 g of butter
- 45 g of flour 00
- 470 ml of milk
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
- 1/2-1 onion, diced (optional)
- Clove powder (optional)
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon juice
Surrender:
700 ml of cheese sauce
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Cutting and Grating the Ingredients
Step 1. Grate the cheese after it has cooled down
The traditional recipe involves using cheddar, but nothing prevents you from using a different cheese or multiple varieties. After letting the cheese cool in the refrigerator, spread a sheet of parchment paper on the kitchen table and take a flat grater. Hold it at 45 ° to the work surface and place the cheese perpendicularly. Grate it by moving it back and forth against the grater. Grip it firmly with one hand while with the other you push the cheese firmly against the teeth and move it back and forth.
- If you have chosen to use a hard, aged cheese, such as Parmesan, cut it into flakes instead of grating it. Hold it at 45 ° with respect to the work surface and scrape it with the vegetable peeler, from top to bottom, to obtain large thin flakes.
- Whatever the cheese is, it is best to grate it when it is cold. Once grated, it will cool quickly until it reaches room temperature and at that point it will melt easily.
- If you want, you can buy the cheese already grated to save time.
Step 2. Transfer the grated cheese to a container
Lift the paper to pour it easily avoiding waste. Then squeeze a quarter of a lemon and spread the juice over the cheese to make sure it doesn't get chewy.
Set the container with the cheese aside until it reaches room temperature. In the meantime, you can prepare the other ingredients. Once the cheese has cooled, it will melt more easily
Step 3. Grate the nutmeg
Its sweet and spicy connotation goes perfectly with cheese and dairy products in general. If the nut is still in the shell, you can break it with the flat side of a large knife. Place the walnut on the cutting board and give it a sharp blow with the side of the blade. Afterwards, peel the walnut with your hands and then take the appropriate miniature grater. Hold it at 45 ° on the cutting board and hold the nutmeg in the other hand, pinning it between the thumb and forefinger. Slide it back and forth against the teeth of the grater making very small movements.
- Continue grating the nutmeg until you get half a teaspoon of powder.
- You can find ground nutmeg in the supermarket, but it will most likely have less flavor, as once grated its scent and aroma dissipates quickly.
Step 4. Cut the onion into cubes
You can use half or a whole, depending on your preference. Trim one side of the onion with the knife and place the flat side on the cutting board so it stays steady as you slice it. Divide it lengthwise in half to be able to peel it easily. Place one of the two pieces on the cutting board, with the flat side facing down and the root away from you. With your left hand, hold the left side of the onion still and start making vertical incisions, moving the knife from top to bottom and leaving a small portion intact. Then rotate the half onion 90 ° and start cutting it from top to bottom, starting from the right and moving towards the left.
Repeat the same steps to chop the other half of the onion if you wish. If you don't intend to use it all, wrap the unused portion in cling film and store it in the refrigerator for use in another recipe
Step 5. Cut the butter into cubes so that it melts more easily
Once cut into cubes, it will melt quickly and blend better with the flour. Separate the piece you need from the dough using a butter knife and place it on the cutting board and then cut it into cubes about a finger high.
For convenience, you can buy butter in practical single-serving packs, so you don't have to weigh and cut it
Part 2 of 2: Making the Salsa
Step 1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan
The ideal temperature to melt it is 90 ° C. Gently stir it with a wooden spoon as you heat it over low heat to prevent it from burning.
In pots with thick bottoms, the heat is distributed more evenly, so they are preferred when it comes to melting an ingredient
Step 2. Add the flour to the melted butter and let it cook for 1-2 minutes
Stir and then continue to turn the mixture with the whisk even after the two ingredients have blended to prevent the taste of flour from being perceived by eating the sauce. Always make circular movements in the same direction holding the handle of the whip without squeezing. Keep the heat low and cook the mixture for 1-2 minutes after mixing the ingredients.
- When the flour has acquired a slightly golden color, you can move on to the next step.
- Maintain a soft grip on the whip, working mostly on the wrist joint, to prevent the muscles from getting tired.
Step 3. Add the cold milk and keep stirring for another 3-4 minutes
Only take it out of the refrigerator when it's time to use it. Gradually pour it into the pot as you continue to whisk it. Keep stirring gently and continuously until the milk begins to boil. By then the mixture should have thickened.
Make sure the butter and flour mixture is very hot before incorporating the milk. If necessary, let it heat up for 1-2 minutes more. Combining ingredients at different temperatures ensures that they heat up at a moderate rate and that the sauce has an optimal consistency
Step 4. Season the milk mixture by adding the nutmeg, onion, cloves, bay leaf, salt and pepper
First use the salt and pepper, dosing them to your taste. Then add half a teaspoon of nutmeg, the chopped onion and finally a pinch of powdered cloves and a hand-chopped bay leaf.
Add each ingredient individually and taste the sauce after all are incorporated. Keep in mind that you can change the doses according to your personal preferences
Step 5. Let the mixture simmer on a low heat for 8-10 minutes or until it has a smooth consistency
Once the sauce begins to boil and bubbles are visible, reduce the heat to low. From this point forward it will have to simmer gently until it has taken on a smooth and homogeneous consistency, after which you will have to remove the pot from the heat.
It is important that the heat is not excessive. The ingredients must blend without burning, so it's best to err on the side of precaution rather than using heat that may be excessive
Step 6. Add the grated cheese off the heat
Turn off the stove and take the pot away from the heat, then pour the cheese into it trying to distribute it evenly. Resume mixing with the whisk and continue until the consistency is smooth and homogeneous again.
- If the cheese is having a hard time melting, put the pot back on the stove. Heat the mixture over very low heat to prevent the cheese from becoming chewy.
- Add the cheese only at the last moment and stop cooking it once it has melted. Do not let the sauce boil, otherwise the cheese may curdle and burn.
Step 7. Filter the sauce if necessary
At this point the aromas will have released their flavor. If you prefer the sauce to be perfectly smooth and homogeneous, you can filter it through a colander lined with muslin gauze. Make sure the cheesecloth is large enough to cover the entire surface of the colander, then place it on a saucepan and slowly pour the sauce into it. Alternatively, you can simply remove the pieces of seasoning with a teaspoon.
The sauce will have a very thick consistency, so if you intend to filter it, you will have to leave it in the colander for several hours to allow the cheese to run into the container below
Step 8. Serve the sauce and store any leftovers in the refrigerator
You can use it to season pasta or perhaps combine it with meat or vegetables (for example with broccoli or cauliflower). It is also a great topping for French fries or nachos. If it leaks, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for no more than 3-4 days.
Heat it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a saucepan over low heat for about 5 minutes. In the first case, be sure to use a suitable container
Advice
- Adding the flour helps to prevent the cheese from curdling. Combine it with the butter, stirring with a whisk for a few minutes to prevent its flavor from being perceived by eating the sauce.
- The secret to a smooth and delicious sauce is to keep stirring to prevent lumps of flour from forming.
- If you are on a diet and want to make the sauce using a light cheese, it is important to grate it or cut it into very small pieces. The reason is that as it is low in fat, it will have a denser consistency and will melt slower than normal.
Warnings
- If you don't mix it enough, the sauce will be full of lumps. Never stop turning to mix the ingredients and obtain a smooth and homogeneous sauce.
- If the cheese is not grated, crumbled or cut into very small pieces, it will melt very slowly.
