Béchamel with Gruyère and Parmesan, thickened with an egg yolk. The sauce that turns cauliflower into a dish and that draws a golden crust under the grill like no other.
Mornay sauce
Sauce Mornay
Mornay sauce
Sauce Mornay
Method
01
Base
Bring the béchamel to just below boiling in a saucepan and keep it over a low heat.
02
Liaison
Beat the egg yolk loose with the cream. Stir a spoonful of hot béchamel into it to temper, then stir this mixture back into the pan.
03
Heat
Heat, stirring, to a maximum of 82 °C; from now on the sauce must not boil, or the yolk will split.
04
Cheese
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the grated Gruyère and Parmesan in batches until completely melted.
05
Season
Season with salt, white pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. For a glossy finish, whisk in a knob of cold butter.
Tips & notes
Always add the cheese off the heat. Cheese that goes into a boiling sauce releases its fat and the sauce turns stringy and oily; you can't get that out again. Keeps for a maximum of 2 days in the fridge; we do not recommend freezing because of the egg and cheese.
Chef's tip
Mornay is named after Philippe de Mornay but in this form is a nineteenth-century Parisian creation. The classic ratio is equal parts Gruyère and Parmesan; Gruyère melts and strings, Parmesan gives salt and umami. Cheddar melts differently and belongs in the English variant.
Variations
- Sauce Mornay au poisson – Replace a third of the milk with fish fumet, for gratinated fish.
- With blue cheese – Replace the Gruyère with Roquefort, for chicory and pear.
- Sauce cardinal – Fish-based Mornay with lobster butter and cayenne.
Contains:
Eggs
Milk
Serve with
- Cauliflower
- Chicory with ham
- Poached eggs
- Lasagne
- Croque monsieur
- Gratinated fish
| Calories | 230 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
