The white sauce can accompany a variety of dishes (vegetables, fish, white meat, etc.), and it also serves as a base for other sauces in some Bechamel Sauce recipes.
Successful béchamel sauce: the right mix of ingredients
The white sauce is a classic in the culinary arts. It is successful when it has the proper texture for the dish it accompanies, neither too thin nor too thick. Sauces missed are rare; however, there are a few tips to make up for a sauce that went wrong. Once the white sauce is prepared, you can make other sauces incorporating different ingredients.
Ingredients list for the sauce béchamel
For a recipe for 4 people, you will need:
- 5 3/4 tablespoons (40 grams) of flour;
- 2 tablespoons (35 grams) of butter;
- 2 1/4 cups (500 ml) milk;
- salt, nutmeg, and pepper.
To make the sauce, you’ll need two pots (one for preparing the roux and one for the milk) and a wooden spoon or spatula. A chinois may be necessary if it lumps.
Ingredients, equipment, and the steps
The white sauce is used both to coat some vegetables for stuffing pastry preparations. It is made from a mixture of white roux and milk.
Directions
Start by boiling the milk and preparing the white roux at the same time. To do this, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat without letting it brown. Then add flour, stirring with a spatula or a wooden spoon. Let the roux cool.
Once the milk is boiled, gradually incorporate the roux, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Continue stirring to allow the sauce to thicken slowly. It is ready when it becomes creamy.
Filter out any lumps, then season with salt and pepper. Nutmeg is essential since it has the particularity to enhance the flavor of the sauce. If it comes in the form of a nut, just grate.
Tips for a successful béchamel sauce
The white sauce can accompany or garnish various dishes. For some dishes, it needs to be a little thicker, for others, it must be lighter. It’s all about the mix of different ingredients, including flour, milk, egg yolks, and cream.
A thick béchamel
To make a thicker sauce, simply increase the flour from 70 grams to 100 grams. Always add flour gradually while stirring or whisking to prevent lumps. Adjust the seasoning then. If the sauce takes a while to thicken, turn up the heat, as heat accelerates the transition between the roux and the milk. When the sauce starts to coat the back of the spoon, it is ready to coat your gratin or to garnish your cabbage.
A lighter sauce
For a lighter, more refined sauce, simply substitute a portion of the flour with cornstarch. It is based on personal taste, as it can be replaced by a third or half. If the sauce is too thick by mistake, it must be thinned back slowly with boiled milk.
Precautions for conservation and derived bechamel sauce
Béchamel sauce should be served immediately to prevent a skin from forming on its surface as it cools. If you want to keep a few hours, melt one tablespoon of butter over the surface without mixing.
There are practical tips to make a quick bechamel sauce. Some melt the butter in the microwave (a few seconds) before adding the flour. Must then mix well, then put in the microwave for a minute, on medium heat. Leave the roux to cool before adding previously boiled milk, and reheat in the microwave. Then mix and season.
Another tip is to prepare a large amount of roux in advance: 2 1/2 cups (250 grams) of flour and 13 tablespoons (200 g) of butter. Then divide into small fractions of 2/3 cup (60 g), and wrap in plastic wrap before freezing. It is then enough to thaw a portion before preparing and continue with the rest of the recipe. lp
Derivatives of bechamel sauce
Once the bechamel sauce is well controlled, you can then venture into preparing other derived sauces. By adding an egg yolk and some grated cheese, you get a Mornay sauce. By substituting mustard for the cheese and adding cayenne pepper, you get a Thermidor sauce.
By incorporating chopped onions and steamed vegetables into the sauce, you get a soubise sauce. So, your sauce will fit best for your fish dish, your cauliflower gratin or other recipes.
Enjoy these recipes and share your tips! — Also Read: How to Make Vinaigrette Sauce
How to Make a Bechamel Sauce?
- 5 3/4 tablespoons (40 grams) of flour;
- 2 tablespoons (35 grams) of butter;
- 2 1/4 cups (500 ml) milk;
- salt, nutmeg, and pepper.
Instructions
- Start by boiling the milk and preparing the white roux at the same time. To do this, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat without letting it brown. Then add flour, stirring with a spatula or a wooden spoon. Let the roux cool.
- Once the milk is boiled, gradually incorporate the roux, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Continue stirring to allow the sauce to thicken slowly. It is ready when it becomes creamy.
- Filter out any lumps, then season with salt and pepper. Nutmeg is essential since it has the particularity to enhance the flavor of the sauce. If it comes in the form of a nut, just grate.
Tips for a successful béchamel sauce
- The white sauce can accompany or garnish various dishes. For some dishes, it needs to be a little thicker, for others, it must be lighter. It's all about the mix of different ingredients, including flour, milk, egg yolks, and cream.
A thick béchamel
- To make a thicker sauce, simply increase the flour from 70 grams to 100 grams. Always add flour gradually while stirring or whisking to prevent lumps. Adjust the seasoning then. If the sauce takes a while to thicken, turn up the heat, as heat accelerates the transition between the roux and the milk. When the sauce starts to coat the back of the spoon, it is ready to coat your gratin or to garnish your cabbage.
A lighter sauce
- For a lighter, more refined sauce, simply substitute a portion of the flour with cornstarch. It is based on personal taste, as it can be replaced by a third or half. If the sauce is too thick by mistake, it must be thinned back slowly with boiled milk.
Precautions for conservation and derived bechamel sauce
- Béchamel sauce should be served immediately to prevent a skin from forming on its surface as it cools. If you want to keep a few hours, melt one tablespoon of butter over the surface without mixing.
- There are practical tips to make a quick bechamel sauce. Some melt the butter in the microwave (a few seconds) before adding the flour. Must then mix well, then put in the microwave for a minute, on medium heat. Leave the roux to cool before adding previously boiled milk, and reheat in the microwave. Then mix and season.
- Another tip is to prepare a large amount of roux in advance: 2 1/2 cups (250 grams) of flour and 13 tablespoons (200 g) of butter. Then divide into small fractions of 2/3 cup (60 g), and wrap in plastic wrap before freezing. It is then enough to thaw a portion before preparing and continue with the rest of the recipe. lp
Derivatives of bechamel sauce
- Once the bechamel sauce is well controlled, you can then venture into preparing other derived sauces. By adding an egg yolk and some grated cheese, you get a Mornay sauce. By substituting mustard for the cheese and adding cayenne pepper, you get a Thermidor sauce.
- By incorporating chopped onions and steamed vegetables into the sauce, you get a soubise sauce. So, your sauce will fit best for your fish dish, your cauliflower gratin or other recipes.
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