BÉCHAMEL
Sauce 101 - a simple but classic white sauce, béchamel is key in giving many dishes their richness and body. Try it in lasagna or over a delicious croque madame.
Ingredients + Preparation
- Butter (100 g)
- Milk (1 liter)
- Flour (2/3 cup)
- Nutmeg or cayenne (1 tsp)
- Salt & pepper (To taste, but you'll probably want around 1 tbsp of each)
Optional, but highly encouraged:
- Sharp cheese: Parmesan or Grana Padano (1/2 cup, grated)
Instructions
1. On medium heat in one saucepan (or microwave), warm the milk until it's warm to the touch. Ensure it doesn't burn by mixing occasionally.
2. Add butter to the second saucepan on medium heat.
3. Incrementally add the flour, mixing it into the butter. Once all the flour is added it should be the consistency of a grainy paste.
4. Gradually add the warm milk to the saucepan, whisking each pour in to the roux before adding more milk. Repeat until you've added all the milk and the liquid is consistent.
5. Stirring continuously, continue to cook until the consistency thickens and any balls of flour break down, about 7-8 minutes.
6. Add the cheese (optional, but highly encouraged) and stir until it has melted into the sauce.
7. Season with the nutmeg or cayenne, and salt & pepper to taste.
8. Serve, or use in another recipe as needed.
Sens Sips
Pair based on presentation
Look local!
Not something we'd pair directly with wine...
Sens Toolkit
Tips + Tricks
- A ratio of one part butter and one part flour should be used when making a roux.
- Heating the milk beforehand will allow it to better mix with the roux, but this isn't required.
- Taste the sauce at various points while seasoning, as it can take little tweaks of the to reach your desired outcome.
Mama's Wisdom
Serve this sauce occasionally or sparingly, as it is high in saturated (bad) fats. Serve fruit for dessert, or a high fiber veggie on the side, as fiber is good to lessen the impact of high saturated fat.�
Mama Wulf
Marta De Wulf is a dietitian with over 25 years experience helping people explore and appreciate the link between food and personal wellbeing.
