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White Sauce or Bechamel Sauce
This used to be one of the first lessons in home economics classes; invariably white and pasty, it coated many a bland dish. When well made, however, it has a proper place in homey, creamed dishes, often making leftovers stretch or giving cooked foods new life. And it is important as a base for soufflés. The French term for this medium-thick white sauce is béchamel. The foolproof way to attain a perfectly smooth sauce is to have the milk hot when added to the butter and flour. It uses an extra pot, but as you become more proficient, this cautionary measure may not be necessary.
Yield: Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1¼ cups milk, heated
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Instruction:
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don’t let it brown — about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat. To cool this sauce for later use, cover it with wax paper or pour a film of milk over it to prevent a skin from forming.
- To turn your white sauce into cheese sauce, stir in ½ cup grated Cheddar cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Warm the milk on low heat just until little bubbles begin to form at the edges. Then remove from heat.
Traditional Bechamel | Bechamel | How to Make a Bechamel Sauce | Bechamel Sauce | White Sauce
FAQ
What are the ingredients for bechamel sauce?
The basic ratio for a classic béchamel is 3 ounces of fat (butter, ghee, coconut oil) to 3 ounces of all-purpose flour for the roux. This ratio of roux will thicken up to a quart of milk, but you can use less milk for a thicker sauce, as we do below.
What is the basic formula of bechamel sauce?
The secret to making good sauce is to go slowly, so all the ingredients combine gradually and smoothly. If you turn the heat up too high, the mixture will be cooked through before it has properly combined, and something is likely to burn.
What is the secret to the perfect béchamel?
