White Sauce – using spelt flour

 

 

Spelt flour is an excellent alternative to wheat flour (you know how I feel about white flour).

It’s easy…. use it the same way you would white flour, but you may need to add more fluid.

1. In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 2-4 tablespoons of butter over low heat.
2. Blend 2-4 tablespoons of spelt  flour into the melted butter.
3. Cook over low heat, stirring for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is crumbly. Cooking for this length of time will minimize 'flour' taste.
4. Slowly add 1-2 cups of milk, stirring constantly (I whisk with a metal fork).
5. Continue cooking slowly until smooth and thickened.
6. For thin white sauce, follow the instructions above, but use 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of flour. Thin white sauce is used in cream soups.
7. For thick white sauce, follow the instructions above, but use 3 tablespoons of butter and 3 tablespoons of flour. Thick white sauce is used in soufflés.
8. For heavy white sauce, follow the instructions above, but use 4 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of flour. Heavy white sauce is used as a binder for croquettes. 

You can add mozzarella or parmesan cheese to taste.

What I use white sauce for:

• lasagne
• vegie bakes
• as a pasta base to salmon, dill, capers etc
• to cream soups
• to add bind/ texture to vegetable, tuna and lentil patties

I don’t use white sauce more than once or twice a month… it’s like desert – it’s not something that you want to make a habit of as bribery, to disguise vegetables or flavours, but rather to add new dimensions to left over's & large cook-ups.

 

Technorati Tags: Recipes,spelt flour,spelt flour white sauce,white sauce,lasagna,pasta,patties