France | Sauces | Milk

Béchamel

(French basic white sauce)

Yield: About 2 cups


INGREDIENTS PREP AMOUNT
Butter 2 Tbsp
Flour 3 Tbsp
Milk 2 cups
Salt 1/4 tsp
Pepper, white pinch
 
Onion (opt.) peeled, quartered 1/4 each
Clove (opt.) whole 1 each
Bay leaf (opt.) whole 1 each
Nutmeg (opt.) grated pinch

METHOD

Basic Steps:  Cook Roux → Thicken → Simmer → Garnish
  1. Heat the butter over medium flame in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Continue to cook the flour-butter mixture (the roux) for 1-2 minutes till it turns a slightly blond color. Do not brown.
  2. Add cold milk all at once and whisk in well. Continue to whisk to prevent lumps and bring to a boil. Sauce will thicken. Add salt, pepper and optional seasonings. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15-30 minutes more to cook out any floury flavor. Strain through a sieve.
  3. Add any additional ingredients (see below) and serve.

VARIATIONS

  • Derivative Sauces of Béchamel:
  • Sauce Aurore (Tomato cream sauce): stir 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste into 2 cups of béchamel. For eggs, fish, chicken, vegetables.
  • Sauce Crème (Cream sauce): stir 1/2 cup of heavy cream and a squeeze of lemon juice into 2 cups of béchamel. Use over vegetables, fish, chicken or eggs.
  • Sauce Dijonnaise (Mustard sauce): add 2-4 tablespoons of Dijon or other mustard to 2 cups of béchamel. Good for fish or ham.
  • Sauce Mornay (Cheese sauce): stir 1/4 to 1/2 cup of grated or crumbled cheese into 2 cups of hot béchamel until it is completely melted. Do not boil or the sauce may become stringy. Good cheeses to try are Parmesan, Swiss, cheddar, or blue cheese. Use a good quality cheese or your sauce may be bland. Use for vegetable gratins, eggs, hors d'oeuvres.
  • Sauce Soubise (Creamy onion sauce): slowly sauté about 1 lb of sliced white onions in some butter until they completely wilt. Do not allow them to brown. Add 2 cups of béchamel, cover and simmer slowly about 20-30 minutes. Puree, strain through a sieve and serve. Goes well with fish and poultry. An essential component of veal Orloff.
  • À la King: an American invention, it's great for leftovers. Just add about 2 cups of chicken, ham, dried chipped beef, peas, mushrooms, etc., to every cup of béchamel. Simmer together and serve over toast or puff pastry shells.
  • Béchamel is ideal for creating vegetable gratins. Simply blanch or slowly sauté some vegetables until they are partially cooked. Spread them in a shallow baking dish. Spread a layer of béchamel over the top and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Place in a 375° oven and cook till browned on the top.
  • Add some chopped ham, chopped parsley, some chopped carrots as optional seasonings if you like.
  • A little squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of white wine added at the end can brighten this sauce considerably.

NOTES

  • Béchamel is what the French refer to as a mother sauce. It is a basic, fairly neutral sauce that is ideal for highlighting the flavor of delicate dishes. Also known as white sauce, béchamel goes well with vegetables, chicken and fish dishes. This sauce is not as common as it once was, given the preference these days for lighter fare. But it is still ideal for certain dishes. And some of the old recipes deserve to be rediscovered.
  • The Germans call béchamel helle Sosse. Italians refer to it as salsa balsamella. It is particularly common the northern part of that country and can be used in place of tomato sauce in vegetable lasagna. The Greek name for it is saltsa aspri and it is a main component of moussaka.