Upgrade your cheese fries! Mornay, a classic bechamél and one of the five mother sauces of French cuisine, is the perfect way to elevate the classic, fried concession-stand dish. Drizzle this sauce, from Lawrenceville French-inspired eatery Poulet Bleu, over your favorite fries. We recommend choosing crispy, thin-as-a-shoestring fries, but any will work!

Sauce Mornay

Serving size: one cup

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk

Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste 

2 ounces finely grated Swiss or Gruyère cheese

Instructions

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk to form a paste. Continue to cook, stirring, until raw flour scent is gone, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, add milk in a thin, steady stream, or increments of a couple of tablespoons at a time, whisking thoroughly and getting into all corners of the pan to maintain a homogeneous texture.

Heat, stirring, until sauce comes to a simmer and begins to thicken slightly. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes.

Add cheese, whisk till smooth, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

RECIPE BY POULET BLEU/PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE BRYCE/ STYLING BY KEITH RECKER