Bechamel Sauce Recipe
Essential French Cooking
This bechamel sauce recipe is likely named after Louis Béchamiel, the marquis of Nointel, who worked for King Louis XIV more
than 300 years ago.
History is not clear if he was the actual inventor of the sauce or if he was simply
being honored by having a sauce named after him. What is clear however is the importance of this sauce
making technique in French cooking.
Uses for Bechamel Sauce
- As an ingredient in another recipe. For example, you can use bechamel in a lasagne, alternating
layers of sauce, noodles, and perhaps a meat or vegetable layer.
- As the starting point for many other French sauces. By adding cheese to bechamel you make mornay
sauce (cheese sauce recipe), and by
adding onions you make onion sauce, or sauce soubise (onion sauce recipe).
- You will also find that some French recipes use the technique of adding flour to roux without calling
it a bechamel - it is just part of the recipe. My recipe for
Flamiche, a leek recipe that originated in Picardy, uses this technique.
So by learning how to make one simple French sauce, you greatly expand the range of French dishes
you can easily master.
How to Make Bechamel Sauce
You can make Bechamel sauce and its variants ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator overnight.
Having the sauce made ahead of time is particularly useful if you are going to incorporate it into another
recipe.
The trick to making Bechamel is to use a whisk and add the milk slowly to the roux (melted butter and
flour), fully incorporating the liquid before adding more. Some recipes recommend heating the milk before
adding it to the roux, but I find this unnecessary, provided you add the milk slowly.
Sauce Béchamel
This recipe is for about one cup. Multiply by the number of cups of sauce you need.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and mix well. Continuing stirring over low heat for two minutes.
Using a whisk, and continually whisking, add the milk in small quantities - about two tablespoons at a time. Make sure that you fully incorporate the liquid before adding more - this way you will get a smooth sauce.
After you've added about half the milk, pour in the rest and give the mixture a good whisking. Continue to heat the sauce on low to medium heat, whisking often. Cook just to below boiling until the mixture thickens.
Remove from heat and whisk in nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Other French recipes . . .
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Learn more about French sauces.
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