On Sun, 23 Oct 2016 09:10:31 -0400, Gary > wrote:

> Alan Holbrook wrote:
> >
> > Every once in a while, when I get the feeling that my arteries are still
> > too flexible and my heart isn't working hard enough pumping blood, I'll
> > make a large skillet of sawmill gravy and pour it over biscuits for
> > breakfast. The recipe I follow says, as do all the other recipes I've seen
> > that involve making a white sauce, that once you have the roux the color
> > you want, you should take the pan off the heat to add the milk. I've often
> > wondered why that is and what would happen if you added the milk directly
> > to the pan containing the roux while it's still on the burner. Rather than
> > risk seven years' bad luck or something similar trying it, I thought I'd
> > ask. Can any of the RFC intelligentsia enlighten me?
>
> First, to answer your question: I've never removed the roux from heat
> before adding the milk. I first looked up "white sauce" in the dandy old
> Betty Crocker cookbook so many years ago. That book was my "cooking
> 101" textbook. I just looked again this morning and it does say to
> remove from heat, stir in milk, then return to heat. huh. I must have
> missed that part. I've always left it right on the burner and never a
> problem.
>
> I also use a very tiny wire whisk for making this. I just measured and
> it's only 3/4 inch at it's widest. This gets into the rounded corners of
> the smallest saucepan. It's perfect for stirring roux.
>
> Also consider this sometime if you're making a gravy to put on
> something. I also let the roux brown a tiny bit (it enhances the
> flavor). More importantly, I don't add all milk. I like to add chicken
> broth to replace some of the milk. I usually mix in 2/3 chicken broth
> and 1/3 milk. Try it.

When I first started cooking, white sauce required a double boiler and
a 20 minute covered simmer. Then I threw off the shackles and started
doing it over direct heat without any encouragement from cookbooks or
television. I forged off in that direction unaided and alone.
<sniffle>


--
Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them.