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🥛 Béchamel

Béchamel

🍽 Serves ⏲ Total Time
1 cup 20 minutes

🧂 Ingredients

  • 🍂 1 medium blond roux
  • 🥛 1 cup milk
  • 🧂 some salt
  • 🧂 some pepper
  • 🌰 1 pinch nutmeg
  • 🧅 1 thick onion slice (optional)
  • 🍀 2 whole cloves (optional)
  • 🍂 1 bay leaf (optional)

🍳 Cookware

  • 1 medium saucepan

📝 Instructions

Step 1

Make a blond roux.

Step 2

Remove the medium saucepan from the heat and slowly whisk in 1 cup of cold milk 1/3 at a time.

Step 3

Return the pan to heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly to prevent clumps. Continue to cook, whisking until sauce is smooth and hot and has thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 4

Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Step 5

For better consistency, scald the milk before adding it to the roux. For improved flavor, add to the milk before scalding thick onion slice (optional), 2 whole cloves (optional), and 1 bay leaf (optional) to make an onion pique then cover and let stand for 15 minutes; remove the cloves and bay leaf, if used, and whisk into the roux.

Recipe Variations

Sauce Modification
Mornay Add 1/2 cup grated cheese to 1 cup of hot sauce; stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Season with a little mustard or Worcestershire sauce to taste.
Velouté Substitute chicken, beef, fish, or vegetable broth for the milk.
Herb Add 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped herbs or 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs to 1 cup of hot sauce. Cook for a minute or two longer to get more flavor from the herbs.
Cream Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of heavy cream to the finished sauce. For an onion flavor, add an onion slice to the milk when heating; remove onion slice before adding milk to flour and butter mixture.
Mustard Combine 1 teaspoon dry mustard to flour used in sauce. This sauce is especially good with fish and chicken.

🔗 Source

  • Joy of Cooking

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