Béchamel Sauce
| Ingredient | About 5 cups | About 1200cc |
|---|---|---|
| butter | 7½ Tbsp. | 100g (7½ Tbsp.) |
| flour | ¾ cup (6.5 oz.) | 100g |
| whole milk | 5½ cups | 5½ cups |
| heavy cream | ⅓ cup | ⅓ cup |
| bay leaf | 1 | 1 |
This basic Béchamel sauce (sometimes called white sauce) forms the foundation for a variety of dishes, from lasagna to gratins.
Preparation
- Warm the milk and bay leaf in a saucepan; stop just before it boils.
Directions
- Make a roux of the flour and butter.
In a saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon being careful not to burn the roux. Continue stirring over low heat for three minutes or so; properly cooking the butter and flour will help keep the sauce from becoming lumpy or having a gritty texture. - Gradually mix in milk.
Pour the heated milk into the roux a little at a time, stirring well with a wooden spoon until completely mixed each time; discard the bay leaf. When all the milk is mixed in, continue stirring over low heat until it begins to thicken. - Add heavy cream.
Stir in the heavy cream. Continue to cook stirring constantly until thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
Notes
- Leftover sauce freezes well.
- The heavy cream can be replaced with milk for a lighter sauce.
- If you are using the sauce for gratin or doria, add salt and white pepper.
- When making cream stew, simmer the vegetables and meat in an amount of broth equivalent to the amount of milk used.
- Béchamel Sauce can also be used as the base for cream croquettes, but must be adjusted to be thicker: 6 Tbsp. butter, 1¼ cups milk, ¾ cup broth, and 2 egg yolks; flour and cream are the same. Add the milk first, then cream, broth, and finally egg yolks.