Béchamel sauce — or white sauce — is the classic flour-thickened white sauce. Its basic ingredients are butter, flour and milk, seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg. It is most often served with vegetable based dishes or pasta dishes like lasagne. Béchamel is one of the five mother sauces in French cookery.This béchamel sauce recipe was written by Sara Danesin, a Finalist in the 2011 MasterChef UK TV programme.
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 3 cups milk
- 2 tbsp salt
- ½ freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the butter until melted. Add flour and stir until smooth.
- Over medium heat, cook, whilst stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the milk in separate pan until close to the boil. Add the milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until the combined mixture is a very smooth sauce and bring to a boil.
- Cook for another 30 seconds, then remove the sauce from heat.
- Season with salt and nutmeg and set aside.
FAQ
What is bechamel sauce used for?
Bechamel sauce is a creamy sauce used as the base for many other sauces, it goes well with vegetables, potatoes, white-meats and cheese dishes.
Is bechamel a white sauce?
Bechamel sauce is a white sauce, it is one of the “mother sauces” of French cuisine.
Is bechamel sauce gluten free?
No, as bechamel sauce contains flour.
