Recipes
Classic Bechamel

Classic Bechamel

Name: Classic Bechamel
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 50 g butter; 50 g plain flour; 500 ml milk; 1 pinch nutmeg; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 pinch white pepper

Jakub SýkoraDairyFrench Cuisine x se líbilo

Bechamel is the basic white sauce of French cuisine and the foundation of countless other sauces and baked dishes. It starts from a roux of butter and plain flour, which you gradually thin with milk to a velvety consistency. The butter melts, gets dusted with flour and briefly toasted, and only then is whisked together with warm milk. Nutmeg gives the sauce its signature aroma, while white pepper adds a subtle warmth. Even a complete beginner can master it.

Příprava: 5min

Vaření: 15min

CELKOVÝ ČAS: 20min

Step by step process

Roux

1
For the bechamel, get a heavy-bottomed saucepan and a whisk ready. Melt the butter in it over medium heat until it just starts to foam but has not browned.
2
Add the sifted plain flour and stir it with the whisk into a smooth paste. Keep stirring and let it bubble for 2 minutes, so the roux loses its raw taste yet stays pale.

Bechamel sauce

3
Turn the heat down to low. Whisking constantly, pour in the warm milk in small additions until the roux blends into a completely smooth, lump-free sauce.
4
Simmer the sauce over gentle heat for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5
Season the finished sauce with salt, white pepper and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Serve it hot, or layer it straight into lasagna or a gratin.