Smooth and creamy alfredo for the masses: Alfredo Secrets

ALL PICTURES ON THIS BLOG POST ARE LOVINGLY HOMEGROWN



You know you've done it. You've tried your best to make it like Olive Garden or your favorite family owned Italian restaurant. You've surfed the net and tried obscure recipe, one after the other in the hopes that this would be the one. I admit it, I'm guilty of wanting to make my own cream sauce without having it look like I just popped a pimple in the middle of my forehead. (I'm a middle school teacher, just block out the picture I created, sorry.) Anyway, I found it! Well, I didn't really find it, I had to create it, but this recipe is so basic I'm sure it exists in better minds than mine. As I explain the recipe I'll put special emphasis on the parts that really do make it smooth.

Try it, it works. If you end up passing this recipe on, please give credit to this blog. Thanks so much.




What you need:
1 large skillet (creates more heat space and speeds up reduction)
1 wire wisk (a must)
1 stove burner kept on very low heat. (Though it sounds funny to list, you've got to remember low and slow!)We'll really about 20 minutes tops.

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter
2-3 T. flour
1 8 oz. carton of whipping cream (not table cream, not half and half, not HEAVY whipping cream)
1 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (must be the consistency of what comes in a Kraft can, not the bag)
1 cup water
1 can chicken broth (optional)
1/2 cup preferred white wine (optional)

Directions:
Have all ingredients ready to be used near your skillet.

In a skillet melt butter, if you fear burning or even browning the butter, melt it in the microwave to save yourself the stress and then pour it into the skillet. I don't have any kids, so while the butter is slowly melting I'm doing other things like putting dishes away or starting the water to boil for pasta.

The key moment: After the butter is melted, with the wisk in hand and the 2 T. of flour in the other hand, "dust" the butter with flour and wisk rigorously. In short, the butter coats the flour and when it's added to any other ingredient the butter helps melt away the flour into the sauce. The is called a "roux" and is the basis for many great French dishes. But no one seems to share this obvious direction in other sauce recipes.

After the butter has absorbed all the flour, next pour in the cream, wisk until it appears that things have smoothed out.

Now it's time for the cheese. Just plop it all in there and stir. It will be lumpy, but all it needs is a little time to melt.

Here's where the water comes in. If left on its own, the sauce will reduce and be too thick. But you're going to add a little water to keep it at the consistency that you want. It takes about a cup. Remember go slow because you can always put in, but you can't take out the water. If you do put too much in, just add more cheese.
To make it more flavorful substitute chicken broth or white wine with the water. I use a mixture of both, more broth than wine is perfect.

Cook on low until it is the consistency you want. Remember it will be runnier on the stove than when it cools. Happy eating. I'm glad I could share this great secret with you. Hope it works for you like it did me. Let me know how it goes.

Where are all the other things?
Some grocery store jars and lesser cooks try to add herbs to their sauce to hide the imperfection of its smoothness. Mine doesn't do that. After you make perfectly smooth alfredo, then feel free to add vegetables, meats, herbs etc. to dress it. Try it as the sauce on a pizza. Yummy!