Basic White Sauce

Basic white sauce, like basic stock, is a neutral-tasting compound which absorbs the flavours you add to it. I don’t think there is much to be said for the practice of pouring it over boiled vegetables to make them look more genteel, but as a binding for certain casserole dishes - fish pie, onion, bacon and potato hotpot - and as a base for cheese and onion sauces, it is extremely useful. A thick white sauce is also the foundation for most soufflés.

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