How is mornay sauce eaten, what is in it? Cooking recipes, useful properties and contraindications for use.
Morne sauce is a spicy cheese sauce that can be whipped up. Its cooking principle is similar to bechamel. Versatile to use. Served with chicken, eggs, seafood and even vegetables. The famous frittata (casserole) is also made using mornay. The sauce has a lot of useful properties and only a few contraindications for use.
Composition and calorie content of morne sauce
The standard composition of mornay sauce contains the following ingredients:
- Wheat flour - must be snow-white, of the highest grade.
- Cow's milk - some cooks advise taking pasteurized milk with a low percentage of fat, others, on the contrary, recommend using homemade milk. The choice is yours, the type of milk directly affects the fat content of the finished sauce.
- Butter - it is preferable to use a homemade product without various chemical additives, then the consistency and flavor of the sauce will be the best.
- Hard cheese Gruyere - should be finely grated, can be replaced with Emmental or, for example, Cheddar.
- Seasonings - salt, pepper, ground nutmeg.
The calorie content of morne sauce per 100 g is 159 kcal, of which:
- Proteins - 6, 4 g;
- Fat - 11, 2 g;
- Carbohydrates - 8, 3 g;
- Dietary fiber - 0.2 g;
- Water - 69.7 g.
The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates: 1: 1, 7: 1, 3, respectively.
Vitamins in 100 g of morne sauce:
- Vitamin A - 73.6 mcg;
- Beta-carotene - 0.032 mg;
- Vitamin B1, thiamine - 0.046 mg;
- Vitamin B2, riboflavin - 0.178 mg;
- Vitamin B4, choline - 25, 95 mg;
- Vitamin B5, pantothenic acid - 0, 395 mg;
- Vitamin B6, pyridoxine - 0.065 mg;
- Vitamin B9, folate - 8, 756 mcg;
- Vitamin B12, cobalamin - 0.543 mcg;
- Vitamins C, ascorbic acid - 0.88 mg;
- Vitamin D, calciferol - 0, 204 mcg;
- Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol - 0, 207 mg;
- Vitamin H, biotin - 2.938 mcg;
- Vitamin K, phylloquinone - 0.5 mcg;
- Vitamin PP, NE - 0.9135 mg.
Macronutrients in 100 g of product:
- Potassium, K - 149, 48 mg;
- Calcium, Ca - 189, 69 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 16, 27 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 389, 33 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 150.7 mg;
- Chlorine, CI - 470.6 mg.
Trace elements per 100 g of morne sauce:
- Silicon, Si - 0, 313 mg;
- Iron, Fe - 0, 322 mg;
- Iodine, I - 7, 98 mcg;
- Cobalt, Co - 0.9 μg;
- Manganese, Mn - 0.0559 mg;
- Copper, Cu - 25, 43 μg;
- Molybdenum, Mo - 5.875 μg;
- Selenium, Se - 3.965 mcg;
- Fluorine, F - 18, 92 mcg;
- Chromium, Cr - 1.89 μg;
- Zinc, Zn - 0, 9015 mg.
On a note! Morne is widely believed to be a derivative of the French mother's béchamel sauce. Historians and culinary experts refute this opinion, because mornay was first prepared long before the appearance of bechamel.
Benefits of Morne Sauce
The benefits of morne sauce are mainly in the dairy products that make up its composition. Nutritionists, pediatricians and other medical specialists focus on the fact that milk and fermented milk products should be included in the diet of almost every person.
The sauce also contains nutmeg, but in very small quantities. This ingredient is rich in beneficial trace elements and essential oils, it contains pectin (a substance rich in soluble fiber). However, in micro doses, the nut cannot benefit the human body, which cannot be said about the dairy ingredients.
The main beneficial properties of mornay sauce:
- Strengthens Immunity - Researchers from Finland have proven that hard cheese contains a ton of probiotics that prevent aging and weaken the immune system.
- Protects against bacteria and viruses - almost all the ingredients of the sauce contain a large amount of vitamins, trace elements and other beneficial substances for the human body. Such substances strengthen the muscles of the skeleton, activate mental activity and are responsible for protecting a person from pathogenic microorganisms.
- Strengthens bones, teeth, nails - calcium is found simultaneously in cheese, sour cream and milk, so mornay can provide you with a triple dose of this substance.
- Takes part in optimizing vision - butter contains a large amount of vitamin A, which is responsible for visual acuity and optimal hydration of the mucous membranes of the eyes. Many people think that butter is bad for humans because of cholesterol. If you consume no more than 10-30 g of this product per day, it will not cause harm to your health.
Contraindications and harm of morne sauce
The harm of morne sauce to the human body can hardly be called significant, because the product is eaten in small quantities.
If you overuse the sauce, you can quickly gain extra pounds. Excessive weight negatively affects the work of almost all internal organs of a person, primarily the heart. You can recover from the sauce not only because of its milk base, but also thanks to the first grade flour. It is known to be rich in carbohydrates, which are converted into fat in the body.
Also, it is necessary to minimize or completely eliminate the sauce for everyone who has problems with the digestion of dairy products.
How to make mornay sauce?
The sauce is prepared quickly, but requires patience and care from the chef: a common mistake of inexperienced chefs preparing mornay is to rush. If you do not stand over the saucepan and stir it every minute, the food may burn. In this case, the taste of the filling will be irrevocably damaged.
Step-by-step recipe for mornay sauce:
- Fry 50 g of premium wheat flour with a little butter until brown.
- In the already toasted flour, start slowly pouring pasteurized and not too fat milk (700 g). While combining flour with milk, stir the mixture with a whisk to avoid the formation of lumps.
- Leave the mixture on low heat to thicken. As soon as the mass changes its consistency, add 100 g of hard cheese (preferably gouda) to it.
- Stir the sauce until the cheese is completely dissolved.
- Season the product with salt, 10 g butter, nutmeg, black pepper and mix thoroughly. The sauce is ready!
On a note! If you want the sauce to be as aromatic as possible, grate the cheese yourself, and do not buy a product grated by the manufacturer.
There are many other recipes for making mornay. For example, if you often have surplus béchamel in your kitchen, you just need to learn how to make mornay sauce from the remains of this filling:
- Heat 12 tablespoons in a saucepan. l. bechamel prepared according to the standard recipe.
- Add 100 ml of medium-fat cream to the warm sauce.
- Beat 2 chicken yolks and add 60 ml sour cream to them.
- Combine the yolk mass with a few tablespoons of hot sauce. Do this slowly and carefully so that the eggs do not curl.
- Pour the resulting mixture into a saucepan with sauce.
- Leave it on low heat, it should thicken, but not boil.
- Add 60 g of grated cheese to a saucepan and stir until smooth. The sauce can be eaten!
Morne Sauce Recipes
Morne is often paired with dishes that need aroma and flavor to be enhanced. The sauce is versatile, so you won't have any problems using it - season it with any meat or vegetable dish, and you will get a real restaurant hit!
Several recipes for dishes that just need to be served with mornay sauce:
- Mussels with cheese sauce … This dish can be prepared from fresh mussels (500 g), if you do not have such an ingredient, use frozen ones. Let the mussels simmer in slightly salted water for 3 minutes. Add 5 black peppercorns to the broth. Prepare mornay sauce and leave in a cool environment to cool. To speed up the cooling process, you can put the saucepan and sauce in cold water. Then place the seafood in a baking dish. In a slightly cooled mornay, add 1 yolk and stir it to get a homogeneous mass. Sprinkle the mussels with 2 chopped garlic cloves. Pour the sauce over everything and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Slightly condemn the finished dish before serving.
- Vegetables baked with mornay … Preheat a skillet with 1 tbsp. l. olive oil. Pour 2 cloves of garlic into it, previously crushed with a knife or press. Wait a little, when the garlic begins to emit a special aroma, add 2 coarsely chopped zucchini to it. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. When they are fried on both sides, remove the courgettes and place 2 coarsely chopped carrots in the skillet. Do the same with the carrots as with the courgettes. Place vegetables in a baking dish and top with mornay sauce. Sprinkle the grated hard cheese over the dish and bake in the oven for just a few minutes. Serve the casserole immediately after cooking.
- Baked salmon … This dish is ideal for decorating a festive table. If you know that you will have a little time to cook before the guests arrive, prepare the mornay in advance, and just reheat it in a water bath before serving the fish. Buy fish steaks from the store or chop the salmon yourself. Each piece should weigh no more than 300 g. Lightly salt the fish with sea salt and season with allspice. Leave the meat alone for a few minutes to soak. In the meantime, line a baking dish with foil and drizzle with refined sunflower oil. Place the steaks on the foil and bake the fish for 20 minutes. Serve the salmon with spinach and mornay. If desired, you can bake the fish with a vegetable side dish.
- Moussaka … Do not be intimidated by the name, the dish is prepared quite simply, its basis is meat and vegetables, drenched in mornay sauce. Outwardly resembles a casserole. Peel and cut into fries, 250 g each potato, young squash and eggplant. Fry the prepared ingredients in vegetable oil. Then place them on a paper towel to blot any excess oil. Now start making the meat sauce. Sauté 100 g of finely chopped onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Add 500 g of fresh minced beef to them. Fry the meat a little and add 100 g of tomato paste and 50 ml of wine (preferably white) to it. Wait for the alcohol to boil down, and add 1 liter of water, 2 tbsp. l. finely chopped parsley, 1 tbsp. l. oregano and 1 bay leaf. Cook the resulting mixture over moderate heat for 30 minutes (it is necessary that during this time the sauce thickens and the maximum volume of liquid evaporates from it). Now prepare the mornay sauce and start putting all the ingredients in the baking dish - a split baking dish is ideal for this business. The first layer of the future casserole is potatoes, then eggplants and zucchini. The last layer of vegetables must be seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Then add a layer of meat and vegetables again (in the same sequence as the first time). Pour the mornay sauce over the dish, sprinkle with grated cheese and place in the oven for 40 minutes. Bon Appetit!
On a note! Store mornay sauce in the refrigerator only in a tightly closed container. Chefs advise to close jars of sauces only with lids made from natural materials. If you do not have such a lid, you can use paper - cover the jar with paper, and fix its edges with an elastic band.
Interesting facts about mornay sauce
Morne sauce was first prepared in the second half of the 16th century. It got its name in honor of the Duke Philippe de Morne.
Initially, only cheese called Gruyere was used to make the sauce, and no other. Nowadays, Gruyere is considered to be quite an expensive product, so many home chefs who cook for their families are replacing it with other, cheaper types of cheese.
How to make mornay sauce - watch the video:
Morne sauce is an easy way to turn an ordinary, trivial dish into a culinary masterpiece! It takes a little time to make, so it's worth considering adding it to your list of signature sauces.
