Mushroom Sauce, White
A classic, creamy white sauce featuring fresh button mushrooms sautéed in butter and finished with lemon. This recipe provides a rich accompaniment for cutlets, poultry, or steaks, modernized from the original 1900 text to ensure a smooth, thickened consistency.
Ingredients
- 250 grams Fresh button mushrooms (Small white mushrooms, cleaned)
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice (Freshly squeezed)
- 30 grams Butter (Approx. 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tbsp All-purpose flour (Used to thicken the milk/cream)
- 250 ml Heavy cream or Whole milk (Original suggests cream is 'better', but thickened milk is standard)
- 0.5 tsp Salt (To taste)
- 0.25 tsp White pepper (To taste)
Instructions
- 1Clean the mushrooms thoroughly. If the skins are tough or discolored, peel them. Cut the mushrooms into small pieces or thin slices.
- 2Immediately toss the cut mushrooms with the lemon juice to prevent them from turning dark/black. Alternatively, submerge them briefly in a bowl of water mixed with the lemon juice, then drain well.
- 3Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and fry them until they are tender and any released liquid has mostly evaporated.
- 4Sprinkle the flour over the cooked mushrooms and butter. Stir constantly for about 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste, creating a base for the thickened sauce.
- 5Gradually pour in the cream (or milk) while stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- 6Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.