Béchamel Sauce

Béchamel Sauce

Yield: 1 pint

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 pint milk
  • coarse salt
  • white pepper
  • nutmeg, freshly ground

Directions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.  Once melted, slowly add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.  Continue stirring and cook about 2 minutes or until the roux becomes frothy and a mass of bubbles.  Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Place the milk in another saucepan over medium heat and bring to just a boil.  Immediately remove form heat and slowly add it to the roux, whisking constantly.
  3. Return the pan to medium heat and bring the sauce to a boil so the roux achieves its full thickening power.  Lower the heat, season with salt, pepper (white or cayenne), nutmeg to taste.  Simmer, whisking constantly, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and no raw flour taste remains.
  4. Dot the surface of the sauce with 2 teaspoons of butter to prevent a skin from forming over the top.  Alternatively, seal the to sauce by covering with plastic wrap and pressing the wrap into the surface of the sauce.
  5. If not using immediately, place in an ice-bath to chill quickly.  When cool, transfer to a storage container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes:

This makes a medium-thick sauce suitable for vegetable gratins.  For a thick béchamel, make 4 ounces of roux (2 oz. butter and 2 oz. flour) per pint of milk.  For a thin béchamel, use approximately 1 ounce of roux per pint of milk.

For a Classic Béchamel, add 1/4 cup of diced veal that has been sweated in butter with 2 tablespoons of chopped onion to the finished sauce and simmer for 20 minutes.