Béchamel sauce
The classic French white sauce of butter, flour and milk infused with bay and onion, cooked until smooth and lightly seasoned with nutmeg.
Method
- 1
Heat the milk with the bay leaf and onion in a saucepan until small bubbles appear around the edge.
- 2
Take it off the heat and leave to infuse.
- 3
Strain the milk into a jug and discard the bay leaf and onion.
- 4
Melt the butter in a clean saucepan over medium-low heat until it foams.
- 5
Add the flour and stir constantly to make a smooth paste, cooking until it smells biscuity but stays pale.
- 6
Take the pan off the heat and whisk in a quarter of the warm milk until smooth.
- 7
Return to the heat and whisk in the rest of the milk gradually, keeping the sauce smooth.
- 8
Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- 9
Simmer over low heat, stirring often, to cook out the floury taste.
- 10
Season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper, and use straight away.
Notes
- Adding the milk gradually and off the heat at first is what keeps the sauce free of lumps. If lumps do form, whisk hard or pass the sauce through a sieve.
- To store, press baking paper onto the surface to stop a skin forming. Reheat gently with a splash of milk.
- For a thicker sauce for lasagne or croquettes, use 60 g each of butter and flour. Stir in grated cheese off the heat to make a Mornay sauce.
Equipment
2 medium saucepans, Whisk, Wooden spoon, Fine sieve