Béchamel

Béchamel is a classic and is known by many names. It is a sauce of butter and flour cooked together-this is known as a “roux”- that has milk added to it. There is a set ratio that works every time-1 tablespoon butter to 1¼ tablespoon flour, to 1 cup milk. I will add that this is very hard to do with less than 2 tablespoons of butter.

This sauce is the base for so many dishes, especially vegetable dishes. Adding a little cheese to this yields a Mornay sauce which is classic with cauliflower. Béchamel is also what you find in pot-pies and Shepherd’s pies, so once you have this down you have a major step for many other dishes. Variants of béchamel are used for lasagna and moussaka.

Originally béchamel was made using mirepoix (carrots, onions, and celery), but this is the modern stripped down version. Old school would be to sauté mirepoix in the butter until softened and fragrant, and then the flour would be added. A modern concession is to stud a piece of onion with a clove or two and to cook it in the finished béchamel for 20-30 minutes. Here’s my iteration;

INGREDIENTS:

METHOD:

Heat a 2 quart saucepan, or 10 inch sauté pan over medium heat.

When the pan is hot, add the butter. When melted cook a couple more minutes until it smells a little toasty. Sprinkle/sift the flour into the butter and stir using a wooden spatula or spoon until all the flour is worked into the butter, and then cook for 5 minutes, stirring all the while to prevent burning, until the roux has a toasty, nutty aroma.

While stirring, slowly pour in ½ the milk, and bring to a simmer. Make sure you get all the roux from the pan bottom mixed in.

Switch to a whisk, and bring sauce to a boil.

When the sauce is boiling, add the rest of the milk, whisking all the while.

Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and set heat to low.

Add the bay leaf and the nutmeg and simmer, stirring occasionally. Season to taste.

Sauce is ready.

Old School Version:

Chop one small onion or 2 shallots, 2 inches of carrot peeled and minced and 2 inches of minced celery.

Melt the butter and sauté the vegetables until the onions are tender, then push vegetables to the side of the pan, let butter pool in the center of the pan, and add flour. Proceed as above, then strain when sauce is done.

Chef’s Notes:

Adding liquid to the roux such as wine, sherry, or orange juice will set you in a different direction. Making the roux with stuff in the bottom of a pan such as a turkey roasting pan and using turkey stock instead of milk is called gravy. Just remember the magic ratio and you are set.

Yield: Around 2 cups

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen