Sauce Mornay

[senior chef]

This delicately flavored cheese sauce is most often used with boneless chicken breast, but it may also be used for a fish dish.

Chicken Mornay, (see end notes) is a rather elegant dish sure to wow your guests.


Note: Gruyere cheese is THE cheese to use. Other cheeses COULD BE used, but that would change the delicate flavor.
Gruyere cheese is a type of swiss cheese that melts extremely well. Other Swiss cheeses may or may not melt as well AND some, IMO, are stronger flavored. (pronounced groo-YAIR.)

4 TBSLSP butter
4 TBLSP flour
1 cup milk
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
6 TBLSP (1/3 cup of grated gruyere cheese
1/2 tsp WHITE pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Melt butter in a small pan over LOW HEAT.
Add flour and stir until it turns a very light golden brown.
NOTE: at this point it is best to use a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, set the small pan into a larger pan.
Bring water in bottom pan to a boil. Put the small pan, with roux, into the larger pan and add milk and 1/2 and 1/2.
Wisk until thickened.
Add gruyere cheese, WHITE pepper and salt. Continue wisking until cheese is completely melted.

Taste and adjust for salt and pepper to suit your taste.
Pour over entrée.
There are so many ways you can use this sauce. I always use it when making Chicken Breast Mornay.
(toast triangles on a plate, cover with a very small and somewhat thin ham steak, cover ham with a smallish, thin, sautéed chicken breast and top with a generous portion of Mornay Sauce.) Often served with a brightly colored green vegetable such as asparagus or broccoli florets. IMPORANT NOTE: ham should NOT be too salty. It would over-power the delicate flavor. Suggest you use a SLIGHTLY sweet ham , like maybe a honey ham.

 

[caroln]

This delicately flavored cheese sauce is most often used with boneless chicken breast, but it may also be used for a fish dish.

Chicken Mornay, (see end notes) is a rather elegant dish sure to wow your guests.


Note: Gruyere cheese is THE cheese to use. Other cheeses COULD BE used, but that would change the delicate flavor.
Gruyere cheese is a type of swiss cheese that melts extremely well. Other Swiss cheeses may or may not melt as well AND some, IMO, are stronger flavored. (pronounced groo-YAIR.)

4 TBSLSP butter
4 TBLSP flour
1 cup milk
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
6 TBLSP (1/3 cup of grated gruyere cheese
1/2 tsp WHITE pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Melt butter in a small pan over LOW HEAT.
Add flour and stir until it turns a very light golden brown.
NOTE: at this point it is best to use a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, set the small pan into a larger pan.
Bring water in bottom pan to a boil. Put the small pan, with roux, into the larger pan and add milk and 1/2 and 1/2.
Wisk until thickened.
Add gruyere cheese, WHITE pepper and salt. Continue wisking until cheese is completely melted.

Taste and adjust for salt and pepper to suit your taste.
Pour over entrée.
There are so many ways you can use this sauce. I always use it when making Chicken Breast Mornay.
(toast triangles on a plate, cover with a very small and somewhat thin ham steak, cover ham with sautéed chicken breast and top with a generous portion of Mornay Sauce.) Often served with a brightly colored green vegetable such as asparagus or broccoli florets.

Chicken breast mornay sounds delish!

 

[Aunt Bea]

Try it on a Kentucky Hot Brown for a family brunch or a hearty game day treat.



https://www.thespruceeats.com/kentucky-hot-brown-turkey-sandwich-3061915

 

[senior chef]

Chicken breast mornay sounds delish!

Indeed it is. I've made it heaven knows how many times and I've had many compliments.

 

[caroln]

Indeed it is. I've made it heaven knows how many times and I've had many compliments.

I love mushrooms. Would they go well with this dish?

 

[senior chef]

I love mushrooms. Would they go well with this dish?

Yes I imagine mushrooms would go well with this dish. Perhaps lightly sautéed small , whole mushrooms served on the plate as a "side". Really, the sky is the limit. Let your imagination run wild. That's how great dishes are created.

 

[caroln]

Yes I imagine mushrooms would go well with this dish. Perhaps lightly sautéed small , whole mushrooms served on the plate as a "side". Really, the sky is the limit. Let your imagination run wild. That's how great dishes are created.

When I find the gruyere cheese I'll give this dish a try. The markets down here in Kentucky aren't known for offering "specialty" cheeses!

 

[senior chef]

When I find the gruyere cheese I'll give this dish a try. The markets down here in Kentucky aren't known for offering "specialty" cheeses!

Yeah, that is often a problem. Suggest you try "HIGH-END" markets. Where I am, near San Diego, 9 out of 10 super markets don't carry Gruyere. When I need gruyere I know of only one market that always has it.

 

[Lethe200]

There are differences in the imported Gruyeres. Best is the cave-aged Gruyere from Switzerland - deeper, rich flavor; more crumbly in texture. "Baby" Gruyere is mild and creamy. French Gruyere is sweeter, less salty than Swiss Gruyere.

Spouse loves Gruyere. It makes the best toasted cheese - good quality English muffins, a slice of ripe tomato, aged Gruyere and a sprinkle of freshly-ground pepper. Yum!

Gruyere is also the traditional cheese topping for French onion soup.

 

[senior chef]

There are differences in the imported Gruyeres. Best is the cave-aged Gruyere from Switzerland - deeper, rich flavor; more crumbly in texture. "Baby" Gruyere is mild and creamy. French Gruyere is sweeter, less salty than Swiss Gruyere.

Spouse loves Gruyere. It makes the best toasted cheese - good quality English muffins, a slice of ripe tomato, aged Gruyere and a sprinkle of freshly-ground pepper. Yum!

Gruyere is also the traditional cheese topping for French onion soup.

Yes. Exactly so. Unfortunately, most of us are lucky to buy ANY gruyere, let alone cave-aged.
By the way, cave-aged gruyere is incredibly expensive ... $36 USD/pound. Other types of gruyere are reasonably priced.

 

[caroln]

Yes. Exactly so. Unfortunately, most of us are lucky to buy ANY gruyere, let alone cave-aged.
By the way, cave-aged gruyere is incredibly expensive ... $36 USD/pound. Other types of gruyere are reasonably priced.

The "baby" gruyere sounds like a winner! Mild and creamy...yum. I wonder if they specify on the package what type it is though?

 

[SmoothSeas]

When I find the gruyere cheese I'll give this dish a try. The markets down here in Kentucky aren't known for offering "specialty" cheeses!

I recently moved to rural Kentucky, so I can really relate to this lament...

Kroger and Walmart aren't known for variety - from produce, to meat, to cheese - so frustrating - it's like living in a food desert.

 

[caroln]

I recently moved to rural Kentucky, so I can really relate to this lament...

Kroger and Walmart aren't known for variety - from produce, to meat, to cheese - so frustrating - it's like living in a food desert.

I lived in the Chicagoland area before moving to Kentucky in '84 and I was in definitely in for a "culture shock", regarding food and otherwise. What do I miss the most? Good pizza and Italian beef sandwiches. Many people here have never even HEARD of Italian beef much less tasted one.

 

[SmoothSeas]

I lived in the Chicagoland area before moving to Kentucky in '84 and I was in definitely in for a "culture shock", regarding food and otherwise. What do I miss the most? Good pizza and Italian beef sandwiches. Many people here have never even HEARD of Italian beef much less tasted one.

I'm originally from Chicago - if you couldn't find ingredients in one of the local chain supermarkets - etheric markets where usually just a few el stops away. Kinda like Alice's Restaurant - where anything you wanted / needed was available.

Then, in Y2K I retired to Tampa Bay. While the climate and latitude was ideal, it was a for-real culture shock and lacked the cultural diversity of the Windy City.

Been here in rural Kentucky for a year now and it's like having been teletransported to a different dimension.

Alas, good pizza and beef sandwiches are now a dim and distant memory...

 

[senior chef]

I'm originally from Chicago - if you couldn't find ingredients in one of the local chain supermarkets - etheric markets where usually just a few el stops away. Kinda like Alice's Restaurant - where anything you wanted / needed was available.

Then, in Y2K I retired to Tampa Bay. While the climate and latitude was ideal, it was a for-real culture shock and lacked the cultural diversity of the Windy City.

Been here in rural Kentucky for a year now and it's like having been teletransported to a different dimension.

Alas, good pizza and beef sandwiches are now a dim and distant memory...

Just out of idle curiosity, being from Chicago, is your idea of good pizza ... "deep dish" ?

 

[Mrs. Robinson]

I`m surprised! Even in the little resort town where I lived for 30 years in California,Gruyere was always available at the local supermarket. It`s the only cheese I`ll use for French Onion Soup.

I do appreciate the lack of a good pizza though. Left that behind when we left the San Francisco Bay Area,along with Sourdough bread. And now,living in Idaho,can`t even get pizza anywhere close to the poor substitute we had in our resort town.

 

[Devi]

Oh yes — San Francisco sour dough bread was to die for! Of course, that was when I was there, 40+ years ago.

Back to the Sauce Mornay discussion.

 

[Jules]

Even in the little resort town where I lived for 30 years in California,Gruyere was always available at the local supermarket.

If they were high end tourists, the stores would cater to their ’needs.’ You lucked out.

 

[caroln]

Been here in rural Kentucky for a year now and it's like having been teletransported to a different dimension.

Alas, good pizza and beef sandwiches are now a dim and distant memory...

Amen to that! However...Portillo's CAN BE HAD! Go to their website and order anything you like. They deliver anywhere! We've used them many times when the desire for Italian beef becomes too great. Word of advice: order during cold months. They do use cold packs to keep everything frozen, but they last better during winter months.

 

[Pink Biz]

Portillo's is divine!!

 

[SmoothSeas]

Amen to that! However...Portillo's CAN BE HAD! Go to their website and order anything you like. They deliver anywhere! We've used them many times when the desire for Italian beef becomes too great. Word of advice: order during cold months. They do use cold packs to keep everything frozen, but they last better during winter months.

Actually, I think we ordered from Portillo's once. We had to drive into Frankfort. Apparently, they're a local chain. I picked up a take out menu that advertised franchise opportunities. I meant to look into it. Still will, now that I've been reminded - thx...

 

[caroln]

Just out of idle curiosity, being from Chicago, is your idea of good pizza ... "deep dish" ?

No, just the opposite. Tavern style, thin crust, cut in squares. Best ordered from the local pizza joint (no chain pizza) or in my case, the local bar (used to be Orsi's til the owner closed up the place for some reason) with a pizza oven in the next room! Toppings of choice? Italian sausage and mushrooms with extra cheese.
Actual Orsi's pizza:

 

[senior chef]

No, just the opposite. Tavern style, thin crust, cut in squares. Best ordered from the local pizza joint (no chain pizza) or in my case, the local bar (used to be Orsi's til the owner closed up the place for some reason) with a pizza oven in the next room! Toppings of choice? Italian sausage and mushrooms with extra cheese.
Actual Orsi's pizza:
View attachment 182639

Yes, I prefer thin crust also. Though not as thin as N.Y. style.
Back in the day, (1960's) there was a restaurant called Rizzo's, on Bourbon Street that made the best pizza I ever had. I always ordered Italian sausage, mushroom and pepperoni.
You know how young guys are … always starving. When my pizza arrived at table, I never could wait for it to cool down a tad and I always burned the roof of my mouth. actually raised blisters.

 

[caroln]

You know how young guys are … always starving. When my pizza arrived at table, I never could wait for it to cool down a tad and I always burned the roof of my mouth. actually raised blisters.

I totally understand! As all pizza lovers do!

 

[caroln]

This delicately flavored cheese sauce is most often used with boneless chicken breast, but it may also be used for a fish dish.

Chicken Mornay, (see end notes) is a rather elegant dish sure to wow your guests.


Note: Gruyere cheese is THE cheese to use. Other cheeses COULD BE used, but that would change the delicate flavor.
Gruyere cheese is a type of swiss cheese that melts extremely well. Other Swiss cheeses may or may not melt as well AND some, IMO, are stronger flavored. (pronounced groo-YAIR.)


There are so many ways you can use this sauce. I always use it when making Chicken Breast Mornay.
(toast triangles on a plate, cover with a very small and somewhat thin ham steak, cover ham with a smallish, thin, sautéed chicken breast and top with a generous portion of Mornay Sauce.) Often served with a brightly colored green vegetable such as asparagus or broccoli florets. IMPORANT NOTE: ham should NOT be too salty. It would over-power the delicate flavor. Suggest you use a SLIGHTLY sweet ham , like maybe a honey ham.

I found Gruyere cheese! I was at Meier's the other day and looked in their specialty cheese section and there it was! Rather expensive but I decided to give it a try. I made your recipe with the ham and chicken breast and the mornay sauce. It was very good but....I must have a very unsophisticated palette because I couldn't tell the difference between the Gruyere cheese and regular swiss cheese. It tastes the same to me. I definitely will keep the Mornay sauce recipe (thank you for that!) but will substitute regular swiss for the Gruyere. It's not worth the extra expense to me!