Bechamel Sauce (French)
Classic bechamel sauce must be one of the most well known and famous of the five French mother sauces.
The French version differs from the basic white sauce mainly in the technique. The recipe maintains the same standard ratio for a medium thick white sauce - perfect for any pasta dish, to pour over vegetables or as a topping that can be grilled.
The main difference is in the heating and infusing of the milk beforehand, and the way that the butter is heated to a froth, the flour added and the combining of the infused milk and the roux.
Add herbs, garlic or cheese to your liking and you will have a delicious velvety smooth sauce.
The recipe is for 1 liter of sauce, just adjust the quantities proportionately to make more or less sauce. For a thinner sauce to serve as an accompaniment to a meat or fish dish the amount of milk, or even cream, can be increased to achieve the perfect consistency.
Taking the humble white sauce and elevating it to a Michelin worthy bechamel sauce has certainly changed my approach to cooking. Patience, lots of time and even more love and dedication is sometimes required to get to that glorious end result. But believe me - it is really worth it!
The French version differs from the basic white sauce mainly in the technique. The recipe maintains the same standard ratio for a medium thick white sauce - perfect for any pasta dish, to pour over vegetables or as a topping that can be grilled.
The main difference is in the heating and infusing of the milk beforehand, and the way that the butter is heated to a froth, the flour added and the combining of the infused milk and the roux.
Add herbs, garlic or cheese to your liking and you will have a delicious velvety smooth sauce.
The recipe is for 1 liter of sauce, just adjust the quantities proportionately to make more or less sauce. For a thinner sauce to serve as an accompaniment to a meat or fish dish the amount of milk, or even cream, can be increased to achieve the perfect consistency.
Taking the humble white sauce and elevating it to a Michelin worthy bechamel sauce has certainly changed my approach to cooking. Patience, lots of time and even more love and dedication is sometimes required to get to that glorious end result. But believe me - it is really worth it!
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Ingredients:
1 lt full cream milk 100 gr butter 100 gr flour more milk or cream to thin out the sauce if needed salt and pepper to taste, as well as a combination of aromatics consisting of sliced onion, bay leaf, ground nutmeg, cloves, garlic or any other that would compliment your particular dish. |
Method:
In a saucepan heat the milk to near boiling point. Add the aromatics of choice and leave to infuse for a good twenty to thirty minutes. In a saucepan melt the butter over medium heat until it develops a good amount of froth without browning it. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a minute or two. Add the flour and mix thoroughly until all the butter is absorbed. Return to the heat and gently bring the roux to a boil without browning. Cook through for two to three minutes without browning the roux. Remove from the heat. Strain the infused milk through a fine sieve and gradually add the milk to the roux whilst whisking to keep it at a smooth consistency. Return to a low heat and bring to the boil and gently boil for five minutes to cook through the flour. Add salt and pepper, or herbs, to your liking and cook through. To make a cheese sauce remove the bechamel from the heat and stir in the grated cheese of your choice. Use as a basic sauce for pasta dishes or as a topping for vegetables. As a sauce to a meat dish dilute with milk or cream to the desired consistency. |