Mother sauces
Løksaus
Løksaus · A light-roux based Norwegian mother-style sauce built on butter, wheat flour and reduced meat broth, finished with finely chopped onion and a sweet-sour balance of vinegar and sugar. Served as a traditional accompaniment to boiled fresh meats (ferskt kjøtt) and soup, particularly in the Vestfold region. It is a reusable base rather than a finished dish — the sweetness, acidity and onion content can be tuned before serving.
The formula
2 tbsp butter : 2 tbsp flour : 5 dl reduced broth : 2 tbsp vinegar : 0.5–2 tbsp sugar : 1 onion
Ratios aggregated from Matprat, Det søte liv and Norsk Tradisjonsmat; sugar and vinegar are adjusted to taste. No cream appears in any traditional source — the prior cream-bearing ratio is incorrect.
Identity
- Light (pale) roux — butter-and-flour base akin to a béchamel/velouté but thinner and unsweetened
- Sursøt (sweet-sour) finish using vinegar and sugar, not wine reduction
- Onion is simmered in the sauce, not sweated as a soffritto base
- Traditionally served with ferskt kjøtt (boiled fresh lamb or mutton) and accompanying soup
- Documented as Vestfold regional heritage in 'Fra Vestfolds spiskammer' (Vestfold Bygdekvinnelag, 1997)
Ingredients
| Fat | butter | Used to make a pale roux; do not brown. |
| Binder | wheat flour (hvetemel) | Equal volume to butter forms the roux; gives the classic light thickening. |
| Liquid | reduced beef or meat broth (kraft/buljong) | Should be hot when whisked in; strained broth from the boiled meat is traditional. |
| Aromatics | onion, finely chopped | Simmered in the finished sauce for ~5 min; sometimes sliced 0.5 cm thick instead. |
| Acid | vinegar (white wine or 7% eddik) | Provides the 'sur' half of the sursøt profile; add off heat, to taste. |
| Sweetener | sugar | Balances the vinegar to produce the sweet-sour character; adjust to taste. |
| Seasoning | salt and white pepper | Added to taste; pepper is optional in the Matprat version. |
Method
- 1Melt the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat.Provides the fat phase for a pale roux without browning the milk solids.
- 2Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the wheat flour until smooth.Off-heat incorporation prevents lumps and keeps the roux pale, the classic béchamel-family thickening.
- 3Gradually whisk in the hot reduced broth, a little at a time, returning to the heat.Adding hot liquid in stages prevents lumps and produces a glossy, even consistency.
- 4Bring to a gentle simmer and add the finely chopped onion; cook about 5 minutes.The onion softens and infuses the sauce without caramelising, preserving the light colour.
- 5Take the pan off the heat and season with salt, vinegar and sugar to taste.Off-heat seasoning protects volatile vinegar aromatics and lets the cook balance the sursøt profile precisely.
Techniques that matter
Pale (blond) roux
Keeps the sauce light in colour and flavour, distinct from the dark roux used in espagnole/brun saus.
Progressive liaison with hot stock
Prevents lumps and yields a smooth, nappe-style consistency characteristic of velouté-family sauces.
Sweet-sour balancing
The defining flavour technique of løksaus — acid from vinegar, sweetness from sugar, adjusted off heat.
Variations & derivatives
Vestfold traditional løksausVestfold, Norway
From 'Fra Vestfolds spiskammer' (1997): 30 g butter, 35 g flour, 7.5 dl kraft, 1 onion, vinegar and sugar to taste.
Det søte liv versionNorwegian home cooking
Uses white-wine vinegar, flaky salt and a slightly higher vinegar ratio for a brighter sursøt balance.
Matprat versionNorwegian national food site
Smaller butter-to-flour ratio (1:2) and added white pepper; pairs with both ferskt kjøtt and kokt hønsekjøtt.
Used in these dishes
Substitutions
- White-wine vinegar → 7% eddik (standard Norwegian vinegar) — Traditional in older sources; both deliver the sursøt note.
- Beef broth → Lamb or mutton broth strained from ferskt kjøtt — The canonical pairing — uses the cooking liquid of the meat it accompanies.
- Butter → Margarine — Mentioned in the Norwegian curriculum (NDLA) as acceptable for brun/light sauces; flavour is slightly inferior.
- Wheat flour → Potato flour or cornflour — Will thicken but loses the characteristic roux body and pale-matt finish.changes result
Troubleshooting
Lumpy sauce
Cold broth added all at once or insufficient whisking during liaison. → Strain through a fine sieve or whisk vigorously off heat; next time add hot broth gradually and whisk constantly.
Too thin / watery
Too much broth relative to the flour, or insufficient simmer. → Simmer uncovered to reduce, or whisk a small beurre manié (equal parts soft butter and flour) into the simmering sauce.
Too sour or too sweet
Imbalanced sursøt seasoning. → Re-taste off heat; add sugar teaspoon by teaspoon to tame acidity, or a few drops of vinegar to lift sweetness. The sweet-sour point should sit clearly on the palate, not collapse into either extreme.
Grey or dull appearance
Roux overheated/browned, or onion cooked too long. → Keep the roux pale and add onion only for the final 5 minutes of simmer.