Béchamel Sauce Recipe

Béchamel sauce is one of the five basic sauces called the mother sauces from which all other sauces are derived. It is a smooth white sauce made from a roux, which is made with flour, butter and boiled milk. It is usually served with white meats, eggs and vegetables. It forms the basis of many other sauces.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes          Cooking Time: 10 minutes           Yield: 2 cups of Béchamel sauce

Ingredients
2-½ tbsp butter
3-½ tbsp flour
2 cups cold milk
½ tsp salt and ground white pepper to taste
Pinch of nutmeg

Preparation Steps:

 To make Béchamel Sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Mix in the flour using a wooden spoon to create a smooth, loose paste. Whisk over moderate heat, allowing the butter and flour to cook for approximately 2 minutes without changing color from a buttery yellow.

Add half of the milk, whisking vigorously to thoroughly blend. Then whisk more slowly over moderate heat, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan and add the remaining milk.

Season it with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a boil for a few seconds and remove from the heat. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon.

If you are not using the Béchamel right away, you may add a knob of butter at the end, by melting it. This will prevent the formation of a skin, that will eventually break and cause lumps.

Note: This white sauce is the fundamental sauce part of the mother sauces.