Fish Mornay and a basic white sauce

by | Feb 5, 2013 | Mains, Recipe | 3 comments

This is one of those retro meals from the 70’s that paved the way for such delights as Tuna Mornay, Salmon Mornay, filled vol-au-vents and creamy pie fillings. Where we would be without them? I had one piece of white fish fillet in the freezer plus wanted to ‘move along’ a tin of green beans. (Who invented putting green beans in a tin? Not the nicest tasting thing but did the job.)

If you can make a basic white sauce, I think you can make a pretty good tasting meal out of anything. We had corned meat and vegetables last night for dinner and whipping up a basic white sauce to serve with it rounded the meal off nicely. Even if you have plain old vegetables. Top them with a white sauce and grated cheese, put under the grill until melted and you’ll have the kids


eating vegetables in no time. (Well most kids, my daughter excluded.)

Basic White Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons butter (or margarine)
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour
  • 1 cup milk

Note:  Double or triple the quantities depending on the amount of sauce you need.

  1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Add flour, stirring for approx 1 minute. This cooks off the ‘raw’ taste of the flour.
  3. Add milk and stir with a wooden spoon or whisk until thickened. This should take about 3-5 minutes.
Add fish, prawns, tinned fish, chicken and vegetables for pie fillings, served over rice or pasta, stirred through pasta and baked in the oven for a pasta bake. Add a cup of any kind of cheese for a cheese sauce. Add 1 tablespoon of curry powder for a curried white sauce. This basic white sauce tastes far better than anything you get in a jar and its made in 5 minutes.

3 Comments

  1. Tonia L
    Tonia L on February 5, 2013 at 7:05 pm

    I just taught Vanessa how to make a basic white sauce when I was making mac 'n cheese. It isn't a skill I learned until more recently and one that can be used for so many recipes!

  2. Trudie
    Trudie on February 5, 2013 at 8:40 pm

    So simple Anne isn't the old white sauce, seriously don't know why people would other buying a packet. When we have a roast chicken for my family of four I still end up with around half a chook for leftovers. The following night it is often turned into chicken and leek pie or similar using a white sauce of course. You know you can freeze white sauce takes a wee bit of effort and a splash of milk of low heat but you can bring it bak to its glory.

  3. Miz Helen
    Miz Helen on February 9, 2013 at 5:10 pm

    Anne, What a beautiful Fish Mornay, I can almost taste it. Hope you are having a great weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen