Bechamel sauce is a basic white sauce.
It is one of the five French Mother sauces (a.k.a. foundational sauces). Bechamel sauce can be used “as is” or as the base for other sauces. Once you master making Bechamel sauce, you can build upon it to make many more sauces.
Simple Bechamel sauce has four ingredients: 1) butter, 2) flour, 3) milk, and seasonings. It is made by creating a roux with butter and flour, adding milk to form a sauce, and then seasoning with ground nutmeg, salt, and white pepper to taste.
Bechamel Sauce Recipe
1.5 quart sauce pan
Whisk
Fine mess strainer
- 5 tbsp butter
- 5 tbsp all purpose flour
- 4 cups milk, warmed
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 whole eggs, room temperature (optional)
Place a sauce pan over medium-low heat to warm.
Add the butter and allow it to foam.
Wait for the butter to stop foaming.
Once the butter stops foaming, add the flour.
Whisk butter and flour mixture for two to three minutes to a roux.
Ladle one cup of warm milk into the roux and whisk vigorously.
Add the next ladle of warm milk and whisk vigorously.
Continue adding milk one ladle at a time, whisking vigorously until all the milk is incorporated.
Continue to cook the white sauce for ten more minutes over low heat to ensure the flour is cooked, whisking constantly to ensure the sauce does not stick to the bottom or sides of the pot and brown or burn.
Remove from heat.
Add a pinch of nutmeg.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Work the sauce through a fine mess strainer.
Add the eggs to make the sauce rich and luxurious.
Temper the first egg with a tablespoon of the hot sauce.
Add the tempered mixture into the sauce and whisk to incorporate.
Temper the second egg add to the sauce and whisk to incorporate.
- It is essential to use low heat and whisk constantly to prevent the roux from browning or burning the sauce.
- When adding the milk, it is necessary to add one cup at a time and whisk to incorporate it thoroughly to avoid lumps.
- If the sauce gets too thick, add more milk, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
- Adding eggs is unnecessary but makes the Bechamel sauce rich and luxurious.
- Bechamel sauce can be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, covered with plastic wrap, parchment paper, or a little milk on top to prevent skin from forming on the surface.
- If the Bechamel is too thick when reheating, add a little milk.
