Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce for Seafood

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup clam juice
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp minced shallots
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1. Combine the first six ingredients, the clam juice, sherry, whole milk, garlic, shallots and bay leaf, in a small saucepan. Set it over medium high heat and simmer until the mixture has cooked down by about half.
2. In another saucepan, at least 1-qt, make the roux. Warm one tablespoon of butter over medium heat until it turns foamy, then scatter in the flour and whisk with a metal whisk for a couple of minutes, until smooth and tan but not browned.
3. Pour the reduced liquid into the roux a little at a time, whisking briskly as you go. The roux may foam up when the liquid first hits it, which is fine; just continue adding and whisking until everything is blended.
4. Turn the heat down to low and take out the bay leaf. Whisk in the butter slowly, 2 Tbsp at a time, waiting for each addition to melt completely into the sauce before adding the next 2 Tbsp.
5. Mix in the lemon juice, salt and white pepper. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it with a little more clam stock or water.