On Sun, 23 Oct 2016 11:23:11 -0700, sf > wrote:

>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>

What a load of crap! Double boiler was used for many things, I still
use it occasionally, but never for white sauce.