Woodland White Sauce Recipes

BASIC WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Use immediately or refrigerate.

RACH'S PASTA BOSCAIOLA-AKA WOODSMAN'S PASTA-IS A TUSCAN SPECIALTY

Steps:

• Place porcini in small pot and cover with stock, bring to low boil, reduce heat a bit and reduce liquid by half, 10 to 12 minutes
• Remove the mushrooms with slotted spoon, trying not to mix up the liquid too much (so any grit from the mushrooms stays at the bottom of the pot), and chop
• Reserve the mushroom stock
• Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta
• Heat a large skillet with EVOO, 3 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat
• Add pancetta and render 2 minutes, add fresh mushrooms and brown with pancetta 5 to 6 minutes, add shallots, garlic and rosemary, and season with salt and red or black pepper
• Toss mushrooms 2 minutes more, then add about 1 cup of wine, let it absorb and reduce
• Add reserved stock and porcini, slowly pouring into the skillet leaving behind the last couple tablespoons to avoid adding the grit from the porcini mushrooms at the bottom of the pot, then add tomatoes and passata or puree, reduce heat to low to simmer
• Add cream
• Salt water and cook pasta 1 minute less than package directions to allow for carry over cooking
• Reserve ½ cup boiling pasta water and drain pasta
• Combine the pasta with about ⅔ of sauce, the cheese and use the pasta water as needed to keep moist, then add a little more EVOO to your taste
• Serve pasta topped with remaining sauce and pass extra cheese at table

BORDELAISE SAUCE WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and shallot, and cook until the shallot has softened and turned translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, then stir in the mushrooms once the butter has melted. Cook and stir the mushrooms until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Pour in the beef broth, wine, and Worcestershire sauce; season with the bay leaf and thyme, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, season to taste with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, uncovered until the sauce reduces slightly, about 30 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water, and stir into the simmering sauce until thickened. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over a moderate heat.
• Add flour and beat until smooth, remove from the heat.
• Add milk, a little at a time, and beat well.
• Bring to the boil and cook gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time. This completes the cooking of the starch in the flour.
• Rich White Sauce: Add an extra 2 oz butter to the completed sauce after it has cooled slightly.