How to Make White Wine Sauce

White wine sauce is a classic and elegant accompaniment for entrees such as chicken or fish. The alcohol content of the wine evaporates during the cooking process, leaving the rich flavor of the wine behind. Choose a wine with a specific characteristic (i.e., dry, fruity, smoky) to produce the same flavor in your white wine sauce.

Things You'll Need

• Saucepan
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• Whisk
• ½ cup white wine
• Salt
• Cream

Instructions

1. Melt 4 tbsp. of butter or margarine in a saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add 2 tbsp. of flour to the melted butter and whisk into a roux (a paste-like consistency). Avoid lumps in the roux by adding the flour a little at a time.

3. Pour ½ cup of wine into the butter and flour mixture and stir with the whisk until the liquid is smooth.

4. Stir the white wine sauce for several minutes, until the liquid has thickened to the desired consistency. Some people prefer a thick sauce while others may like a thinner glaze.

5. Add salt to taste. Just a pinch should be plenty without detracting from the taste of the chicken or fish. Stir in a dollop of cream if you like, to give your white wine sauce a richer body.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose a white wine that you would like to drink with your meal. Cooking wine found in the grocery store often adds sodium to the meal and does not impart the taste of wine in sauces as well as a bottle of quality wine.

References

• Global Gourmet: "Choose a Wine for Cooking"

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish