Old Fashioned White Sauce With Parsley Recipe

Opening a bottle of pre-made sauce is convenient and we all do it sometimes but making your own sauces from scratch the old fashioned way is a much more satisfying and tasty option.  This sauce is a great accompaniment to many types of meats and dishes, in particular ham, corned beef, fish and lamb.  A favorite of many generations and with many variations this white sauce with parsley is easy to make and very versatile.

Image: Old Fashioned White Sauce with Parsley by S. Hensley Copyrite Orsons Retro

White Sauce with Parsley      

30g flour
1/2 bunch finely chopped parsley
30g butter
400ml milk
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Step 1
Melt the butter in a warm (medium heat) pan.  Add the flour, your aim is a dry dough.  If you have to add more flour to achieve the dough than do so.

Step 2
Turn heat up to high.  Add the milk in small amounts constantly stirring.  Do not boil. 

Step 3
Remove from heat, keep stirring and add the parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix well. Let stand for 2 minutes and serve.
Hints:  Adding mint instead of parsley turns this sauce into the perfect lamb accompaniment.  Adding some finely grated cheese and beaten egg yolk in step 3 (instead of setting aside and adding the parsley) and cooking for a further 2 minutes on high heat will make a complimentary sauce for fish. The White Sauce with Parsley is ideal for corned beef but another variation to make your silverside 'pop' is adding peppercorns with the flour.   Likewise some finely chopped basil added in place of the parsley can make a chicken dish extra special.  To make a heavenly sauce for cauliflower and other vegetables add cheese.  The variations are endless and well worth experimenting with.  The basic sauce (minus the parsley) will always be a reliable and delicious sauce and is a fantastic base for sauce making.  Have another variation of this sauce?  We would love to hear about it.