Gruyère and Parmesan Mornay Sauce
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and Serious Eats.
A smooth white sauce with nutty Gruyère and sharp Parmesan melted in off the heat, ready to pour or bake.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Cook the roux. Melt the butter over medium-low heat, add the flour and whisk for about 1 min until smooth and no longer floury, without letting it brown.
- 2
Whisk in the milk. Pour in the milk slowly while whisking hard, so the sauce stays free of lumps.
- 3
Simmer. Bring it to a bare simmer, turn the heat down and cook for 3-5 min, whisking often, until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.
- 4
Melt in the cheese. Turn off the heat and whisk in the Gruyère and Parmesan until melted and glossy. Avoid boiling it again, as the cheese can turn grainy.
- 5
Season and serve. Add the salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Spoon over cauliflower or other vegetables and bake until golden for a gratin, or serve warm in a bowl.
Storage
Cover the surface and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Warm over low heat, stirring and adding a splash of milk, without boiling. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
EU nutrition claims
- Source of protein: 4.3 g protein per 100 kcal, about 17% of energy (needs ≥ 12%)
- Low sugars: 4.9 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 96 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- small heavy saucepan
- whisk
- fine grater
- heatproof spatula
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 206 kcal |
| Protein | 8.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 10.1 g |
| of which sugars | 4.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 14.6 g |
| of which saturates | 8.7 g |
| Fibre | 0.2 g |
| Salt | 0.73 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
4.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
