Description
Creamy bechamel sauce brings French culinary magic to home kitchens with simple pantry ingredients. Whisking milk, butter, and flour creates a silky smooth base that elevates dishes from ordinary to extraordinary, letting you craft restaurant-quality sauces with ease.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups (300 milliliters) milk
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter
- 2 tablespoons (15 grams) all-purpose flour
Seasonings:
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Spice:
- 1 pinch nutmeg
Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium-heat saucepan, creating a golden, glossy foundation for the classic french sauce.
- Sprinkle flour into melted butter, whisking vigorously to create a uniform roux, cooking for approximately 60 seconds until the mixture turns slightly golden and eliminates raw flour taste.
- Gradually pour cold milk into the roux, maintaining constant whisking motion to prevent lumps and ensure silky smooth consistency.
- Maintain steady stirring while sauce simmers, watching carefully as it transforms and thickens, developing a luxurious, velvety texture that coats the back of a spoon.
- Elevate flavor profile by introducing delicate seasonings: sprinkle salt, grind fresh black pepper, and add a subtle hint of fragrant nutmeg, blending ingredients seamlessly.
- Remove saucepan from heat when sauce reaches desired thickness, allowing it to rest momentarily before serving or storing for future culinary applications.
Notes
- Whisk butter and flour together thoroughly to prevent lumps and create a smooth, velvety roux as the foundation of your sauce.
- Use whole milk at room temperature for the creamiest texture and most consistent mixing without temperature shock.
- Grate fresh nutmeg for a more intense, aromatic flavor compared to pre-ground spices, enhancing the sauce’s depth and complexity.
- Adjust sauce thickness by adding more milk if too thick or simmering longer if too thin, ensuring perfect consistency for various dishes like lasagna, gratins, or pasta.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 108 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg