Cream Sauce, Mornay Sauce, Cheddar Sauce, Nantua Sauce, Mustard Sauce – what do they all have in common?
The answer is this: bechamel sauce. Béchamel sauce, also known as white sauce, is one of the five French mother sauces that serves as the basis for the secondary sauces mentioned above. If you know how to make this sauce right, you’re halfway there when it comes to learning how to cook milk- or cream-based sauces.
The basic ingredients of the bechamel sauce are butter, flour, Milk Y Salt. Additional ingredients may include Pepper, freshly ground nutmeg, bay leaf, onion Y Nail. Butter and flour are usually equal parts, but some recipes differ when it comes to the ratio of butter and flour. The sauce is made by first making what the French call roux, a mixture of butter and flour.
Start by gently melting the butter in a saucepan (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. Don’t let the butter sizzle; As soon as it melts, remove the saucepan from the stove. Next, sift the flour into the butter and stir the mixture over low heat with a wooden spoon so that the flour cooks. It should be done after a few minutes, but keep in mind that not cooking it enough can make the sauce taste mealy. At this stage, your mix is now the roux and you are ready to add the milk.
Slowly add the milk, making sure it gets hot. Do not add cold milk as it can make your sauce clumpy. Whisk in the milk and the roux, watching the thickness of the sauce. A little onion, cloves, and bay leaves can be added to the mix to add flavor, but are then removed or filtered from the sauce after cooking. Season with salt, pepper, and freshly ground nutmeg to taste.
Don’t use black pepper if you want a pure white sauce because it will result in black spots in the mixture. Make sure to stir the sauce completely to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Remove the saucepan from the heat once it reaches the desired thickness, and voila!
This sauce is incredibly versatile. Not only can you add garlic, bell peppers, or different seasonings to create a unique flavor, you can also add grated Parmesan and cheddar cheese to create a cheese sauce that everyone will love. This can be drizzled over pasta, chicken, or vegetables.