Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce)
Bechamel sauce is integral to many amazing dishes and is, in French cuisine, one of the five "mother sauces" because it serves as a base for other sauces. You may recognize it as the foundation for classic macaroni and cheese, biscuits and gravy, or more sophisticated dishes like lasagna Bolognese, butternut squash soup, or croque monsieur. Made with equal parts butter and flour, and milk, this ultra-creamy white sauce is considered a "blank canvas" for recipes, making it essential to master.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup milk, warm
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a small saucepan with a thick bottom, whisk together the butter and flour over medium heat.
- Whisk until they melt into a smooth paste.
- Slowly add the warm milk, whisking to break up any lumps.
- Continue to whisk until the sauce is thick and bubbly.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, add more milk. Once the sauce is bubbling, it will not thicken further. Season with salt and pepper. (In these pictures, I added a pinch of nutmeg. )
