Béchamel Sauce
Béchamel sauce is a classic French sauce that has been a staple in kitchens for centuries. It is a roux-based white sauce made with flour, butter, and milk. While it can be enjoyed by itself, it is more popularly used as the base for other sauces such as mornay or soubise sauce.
Ingredients
- 30 grams butter
- 30 grams plain flour
- 500 ml whole milk
- salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the butter in a heavy-base saucepan and melt it over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add the flour. Whisk until fully incorporated and forms a roux. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the roux turns golden and it has a pleasant toasty/nutty smell.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat for about five minutes to allow the roux to cool down slightly.
- Now gently add the cold milk to the saucepan while whisking. Initially the roux will turn into a thick paste, which will get lighter and lighter as more milk is added. Continue whisking until all the milk is added, ensuring that there are no lumps.
- Place the saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- As an optional step, you can strain the Béchamel sauce through a fine sieve. This will ensure that any small lumps that are left will be strained out and that the sauce is perfectly smooth.
Notes
This recipe makes a Béchamel sauce with a medium thickness/consistency. I find it the perfect consistency to use for lasagna for example. If a thicker consistency is needed, increase the amount of butter and flour used. There are some recipes which call for up to 200 grams of roux (butter and flour) for every litre of milk used.