Sauce Mornay

There are many theories about the origin of name of this sauce, the most popular of which claims it was named after the Duke of Mornay in the late 16th century. The modern version of this sauce is made by combining classic bechamel sauce with grated and melted Gruyére and Parmesan cheeses. However, the original Mornay sauce was invented before béchamel was, so the original cheese sauce that the Duke was served was certainly a bit different than todays version. Béchamel was likely added to the recipe later in order to improve the sauce’s consistency. Mornay sauce is commonly used as a topping for steamed vegetables or drizzled over seafood and poultry dishes.