4 tablespoons butter (no substitute)<BR>1/4 cup unsifted flour<BR>2 cups milk<BR>1/2 teaspoon salt (approx.)<BR>1/8 teaspoon white pepper<br><br>2 tablespoons minced yellow onion<BR>2 oz. ground veal (use only if sauce is for meat or poultry)<BR>1 small sprig fresh thyme or a pinch of dried thyme<BR>1/2 bay leaf<BR>Pinch nutmeg
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a double boiler top over direct moderate heat; blend in flour, slowly add milk, and heat, stirring, until thickened. Mix in salt and pepper. Set over simmering water. Stir-fry onion in remaining butter for 3-5 minutes over moderate heat until limp. Add veal if sauce is for meat or poultry, and stir-fry until no longer pink. Add to sauce along with remaining ingredients; cover and cook 1 hour over simmering water; beating now and then with a whisk and scraping bottom and sides of pan with a rubber spatula. Strain sauce, taste for salt and adjust. <br><br>Serve hot or use as a base for other sauces.<br><br>Be careful when removing lid not to let the water condensed on the lid drop in the sauce.