Bechamel: Recipe and Tips to Make it Perfect

All the secrets to make a truly perfect homemade bechamel!

500 ml of milk

40 g of butter

40 g of flour

Description

The bechamel, or to call it by its original name "la sauce à la Béchamel" is a basic sauce originating from France but also widely used in Italy and England, where it is known as "white sauce". In French cuisine, bechamel is considered a “mother sauce” because with additions it is possible to obtain many other sauces: the Mornay for example, by adding Parmesan.
Bechamel is used in many dishes of French cuisine, but also Italian! Among the most famous, the lasagna, the cannelloni, the gratin vegetables, the flans, the soufflé.
There are several ready-made products on the market, but making bechamel at home is not difficult: not to mention that the few minutes of attention it requires will be totally rewarded by the exceptional flavor you will get from your preparation. Homemade bechamel is indeed irreplaceable and delicious.
The classic recipe for bechamel requires equal parts, by weight, of flour and fat, usually butter is used. This must be in sufficient quantity to cover all the starch granules present, but it must not be excessive, otherwise the fat rises to the surface and the sauce would be unappetizing.

Procedure

Melt the butter in a pan with high edges. When the butter is completely melted, if it has not been clarified it will start to foam: it is the water that evaporates. It is preferable to eliminate most of the water to prevent it from contributing to the formation of gluten and therefore lumps once the flour is added.

After about a minute over medium heat the bubbles will start to decrease. Add the flour, all at once and stir vigorously with a kitchen whisk, so as to completely incorporate the flour into the butter. Continue stirring and cooking until, after a couple of minutes, the mixture changes consistency and becomes more fluid.

At this point you can lower the heat and continue cooking for a few more minutes, so that the flour completely loses its “raw” taste. After a few minutes you can remove from the heat and let the mixture cool a little. What you have just obtained is called a white roux, even if it is actually yellowish due to the butter used.

Flavor the milk with nutmeg and a pinch of salt (you can do these operations also as the last step, when the bechamel will be ready); then add it little by little to the roux, stirring everything vigorously with the whisk.

Cook 5-6 minutes over low heat until the sauce has thickened and begins to boil. With this recipe you will get a medium density; if you want a more liquid bechamel you will need to decrease the dose of butter and flour; for a denser bechamel you will need to increase the dose of butter and flour instead. Your bechamel is ready!

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