Bechamel (White) Sauce

Hi, Chef Sandy Krebs here!

Knowing how to make a basic Bechamel can come in quite handy. You can add cheese to it to make cheese sauce, or cheese and vegetables to make a nice Pasta Alfredo, or mustard to make a nice mustard sauce, or you can use it for a sauce to make white pizza, or....the possibilities are endless.

Traditionally, while heating the milk, you would would put in a Mirepoix (a combination of celery, carrots and onion, tied in a piece of cheese cloth to make it easy to remove from the milk when you are done with it). I usually skip this step, opting instead to cook some finely diced onion in the butter before I add the flour to make the roux. I think in the end it makes a much more flavorful sauce, however if you are looking for a sauce with a very smooth consistency, this won't work and you'll need to use the Mirepoix. Another variation you can try is using Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead of butter, or half butter and half oil. It will totally change the flavor, of course, but it will be a much more heart smart sauce.

Bechamel (White) Sauce

5 tablespoons Butter

4 tablespoons Flour

1 small Onion - finely diced (optional)

4 cups Milk

Salt – to taste

½ teaspoon finely ground Nutmeg

On a very low heat begin heating milk on a back burner while you are making the roux (the butter and flour which will become a paste which thickens your sauce. Stick with me kid, and you'll learn all the terms!). Do not allow the milk to come to a boil, turn the heat off as soon as you see steam rising off the surface.

In a heavy pan, on medium heat, melt the butter. Do not allow the butter to brown. If you are not using the onion, start stirring the flour into the butter with a wooden spoon as soon as the butter is melted. If you are going to use the onion, this is the time to cook it. Add the onion to the butter, stirring often with wooden spoon to prevent the onion from browning. When the onion is translucent start stirring in the flour a little at a time, mashing well with the wooden spoon to prevent lumping. This is the reason that you use a wooden spoon, while “mashing” the flour and butter you wouldn't want to have the metal spoon scraping on the metal pan. That could give you the willies, and willies must be avoided at all times when cooking.

As soon as you have all the flour mixed into the butter (congratulations by the way, you just made roux!) begin slowly adding the milk stirring constantly to avoid lumping. After you have added all the milk, keep stirring for a few minutes, and like magic your milk will thicken up into a beautiful sauce. At this point you can stir in the salt and nutmeg, and whatever else you are using, cheese, mustard, veggies, etc.

Don't let the French words and having to use two pans and a wooden spoon to make this sauce intimidate you; it's really easy!

As always, please share your comments and/or let me know how your sauce turned out.