Rich Port Salut Cheese Sauce

Traditional French cheese sauce enriched with Port Salut

4

Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • ¼ onion
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 300ml (½ pint) semi-skinned milk
  • 15g (½ oz) butter
  • 15g (½ oz) plain flour
  • Fresh nutmeg
  • Large pinch cayenne pepper or mustard powder
  • 50g (2oz) grated Port Salut plus a little extra for topping!

Method

  1. Put onion, bay leaf and peppercorns in a pan with milk. Heat to almost boiling, when small bubbles start to form at sides of pan.
  2. Turn off heat, cover and leave to infuse for 20min. Strain through a sieve into a jug. Set aside.
  3. Heat butter in a pan and add flour to make a roux. Cook for 1 minute, continuously stirring, until cooked but not coloured.
  4. Turn off heat then gradually pour in infused milk in stages, whisking continuously with a balloon whisk.
  5. Turn heat back on. Stirring continuously, simmer gently for 2 min, until sauce is thickened and smooth.
  6. Turn off heat and season with salt and pepper. Grate over about a ¼ of a teaspoon of nutmeg, add a pinch of cayenne pepper and the grated Port Salut cheese. Whisk gently until cheese is melted.
  7. Pour over something delicious, and top with a little extra Port Salut cheese!
  8. Enjoy!