Sauce Mornay
Béchamel with Gruyère and Parmesan — the cheese sauce
Béchamel plus cheese, and the reason to keep béchamel in your head at all. It is what goes over cauliflower, into croque monsieur, and under a grill on anything that will sit still.
Add the cheese off the heat. Boiled cheese sauce goes grainy and there is no coming back.
Ingredients
- 1 quart Béchamel, hot (see Béchamel)
- 4 ounces Gruyère, grated
- 2 ounces Parmesan, finely grated
- 2 egg yolks (optional, for gratins)
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt and white pepper
Instructions
- Have the béchamel hot but not boiling. Take it off the heat.
- If using the yolks, whisk them with the cream, then whisk a ladle of the hot béchamel into them to temper before stirring the mixture back into the pan.
- Add the Gruyère and Parmesan a handful at a time, stirring until each is melted before adding more.
- Season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Do not return it to the boil.
Notes
- The yolks are for gratins — they help it glaze and brown. Leave them out for a pouring sauce.
- Cheddar in place of the Gruyère makes it a different and less classical sauce, which is fine.
- Reheat gently over low heat, stirring; it will thicken as it stands.