Definition

Noun 1. A white sauce: A culinary term for a basic white sauce made from a roux (a cooked mixture of fat, typically butter, and flour) and a light liquid, such as milk, broth, or vegetable stock. It is a foundational sauce in French cuisine. 2. A preparation for braising: Specifically, a cooking preparation where meat is browned and then simmered in a small amount of this white sauce or a seasoned white broth with vegetables.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Sauce):
  • The chef prepared a simple blanc to serve with the poached fish.
  • For this recipe, you start by making a blanc with butter, flour, and chicken stock.
• Noun (Cooking Method):
  • The veal was cooked à blanc, resulting in a very tender and delicately flavored dish.
  • "Blanquette de veau" is a classic French stew where the veal is cooked in a blanc.

Advanced Usage

• "À blanc": A French culinary phrase meaning "in white." It describes the method of cooking something, typically meat, in a sauce or broth without allowing it to brown, preserving a pale color and mild flavor.
  • The kidneys were sautéed à blanc to keep their delicate taste.
• The term is often part of specific dish names, indicating the cooking style, such as (a ragout of white meat in a white sauce).

Variants and Related Words

• Béchamel: A specific type of sauce made with milk. All béchamel is a , but not all sauces are béchamel (as they may use broth instead of milk).
• Velouté: Another foundational "mother sauce" similar to a , but made with a white stock (chicken, veal, or fish) instead of milk.
• Blanquette: A French stew, usually of veal, lamb, or chicken, cooked in a sauce.
• Blanch (verb): A different but related culinary term meaning to briefly boil food, often to loosen skins, preserve color, or remove strong flavors.

Synonyms

• White sauce
• Cream sauce (note: a is not necessarily creamy unless enriched with cream)
• Foundation sauce

Notes on Meaning

The primary culinary meaning of blanc is the white sauce or the cooking method using it. It is a specialized term from French cuisine adopted into English culinary vocabulary. It should not be confused with the French adjective blanc (white), though the sauce is named for its color.

Noun

1. a white sauce of fat, broth, and vegetables (used especially with braised meat)