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Sauce béchamel - En-tete

Béchamel Sauce

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4.93/5 (13)
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: French
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Marc Winer

Ingredients

White Roux

  • 25 g butter
  • 25 g flour

Sauce

  • 25 cl milk, cold
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 pinch nutmeg, grated

Procédé

White Roux

  • Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan.
    25 g butter
    Sauce béchamel - Faire fondre le beurre à feu moyen dans une petite casserole.
  • Add the flour.
    25 g flour
    Sauce béchamel - Ajouter la farine.
  • Whisk constantly until the flour is fully combined with the butter and forms a white roux.
    Sauce béchamel - Fouetter sans arrêt jusqu'à ce que la farine soit bien mélangée au beurre et forme un roux blanc.
  • Cook the roux for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, without letting it brown: this cooks out the raw flour taste.
    Sauce béchamel - Cuire le roux 3 à 4 minutes en remuant, sans le laisser dorer : cette cuisson enlève le goût de farine crue.

Sauce

  • First, pour in 2 tablespoons of the cold milk.
    25 cl milk,
    Sauce béchamel - Verser d'abord 2 cuillères à soupe du lait froid.
  • Whisk until the roux has completely absorbed this milk.
    Sauce béchamel - Fouetter jusqu'à ce que ce lait soit entièrement absorbé par le roux.
  • Then pour in the rest of the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly: this is what prevents lumps.
    Sauce béchamel - Verser ensuite le reste du lait petit à petit, en fouettant constamment : c'est ce qui évite les grumeaux.
  • Cook over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly so the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom, until it thickens and becomes smooth, glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
    Sauce béchamel - Cuire à feu moyen environ 5 à 7 minutes, en remuant sans arrêt pour que la sauce n'accroche pas au fond, jusqu'à ce qu'elle épaississe et devienne lisse, brillante et assez épaisse pour napper le dos d'une cuillère.
  • Adjust the consistency if needed: if it's too thin, cook it a little longer, stirring; if it's too thick, add a little cold milk, a bit at a time, whisking.
  • Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.
    Salt, Pepper, 1 pinch nutmeg,
    Sauce béchamel - Assaisonner avec le sel, le poivre et la noix de muscade.
  • If you're not using the sauce right away, press plastic wrap directly onto its surface to keep a skin from forming.

Notes

A roux is a mixture of equal parts butter and flour. The milk should be cold: it heats up gently and blends in more easily. A good béchamel stays creamy and supple, with enough body to hold together without turning gluey. If lumps form anyway, strain the sauce through a sieve.
Storage: 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface. Béchamel freezes for 2 to 3 months in a freezer-safe container; let it thaw slowly in the refrigerator. To reheat it, warm it over low heat, stirring regularly, and thin it with a little cold milk if it's too thick.
Tip: to coat vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, leeks), replace some of the milk with a little of their cooking water.
Mornay variation, for gratins: stir 100 g of grated cheese (Gruyère or Comté) into the hot béchamel and let it melt over low heat.
These quantities make a small saucepan's worth of sauce (for croque-monsieur or vegetables). For lasagna or a large gratin, double or triple all the quantities.
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