Ingredients
½cupclam juice,or chicken stock
½cupdry sherry
½cupwhole milk,or 3 tbsp cream with 5 tbsp of water
1tbspgarlic,minced
1tbspshallots,minced
1bay leaf
1tbspunsalted butter
1tbspflour
1½lbunsalted butter,(2 sticks)
½tspsalt
½tspwhite pepper
1tbsplemon juice
Preparation
Place the clam juice, sherry, whole milk, garlic, shallots, bay leaf in a small saucepan.
Heat on medium-high heat and let simmer until the liquids have reduced by about ½.
In a separate saucepan of 1-qt minimum size, heat 1 tablespoon of butter in the saucepan on medium heat until it is foamy.
Sprinkle in the flour, stirring for a couple of minutes with a metal whisk until well mixed. It must be tan, but not browned.
Slowly add the reduced mixture to the roux, stirring quickly to incorporate. When adding some of the mixture, the roux will bubble up. Just keep adding the mixture and keep whisking to incorporate.
Lower the heat to low. Remove the bay leaf.
Slowly whisk in the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time. Let the butter tablespoons fully melt and be incorporated into the sauce before adding more tablespoons.
Stir in the lemon juice, salt, and white pepper. Add some more clam stock or water if the sauce is too thick.
Serve over seafood, and enjoy!
