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["1.", "Have ready a large bowl of cool water.", "Place the flour in a 1-qt saucepan (preferably nonstick) over medium heat.", "Cook the flour, stirring with a whisk or possibly wooden spoon, till it smells cooked, 3 to 5 min", "(quite suddenly, you'll notice a pronounced toasted smell).", "Don't let the flour brown.", "Place the bottom of the saucepan in the bowl of cool water to stop the cooking of the flour.", "Set the pan aside till it and the flour are cold.", "2.", "Add in 1/2 c. of the lowfat milk to the flour and whisk to a smooth paste.", "Gradually whisk in the remaining lowfat milk.", "Pin the bay leaf to the onion with a clove and add in it to the lowfat milk with the celery, garlic, and mace.", "Gradually bring the mix to a boil over mediumhigh heat, whisking steadily.", "The sauce will thicken.", "3.", "Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer the sauce till thick and flavorful, about 10 min, whisking occasionally.", "4.", "Strain the sauce into another saucepan, pressing the vegetables with the back of a wooden spoon to extract the juices.", "Whisk in the butter (if using).", "Correct the seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.", "Yield: ""2 c.""
