Bechamel Sauce - White Sauce

Although a lot of us use Bechamel sauce for cooking popular Italian dishes such as lasagna and gnocchi, this versatile white sauce is actually a French invention used as a base for a lot of different sauces. For example, you can add cheese to Bechamel sauce and call is a Mornay Ssauce. You can add mustard seeds and call it a Mustard Sauce, etc. I particularly enjoy using Bechamel as a base to Four Cheese sauce served with pasta or gnocchi. A must try!

The nutmeg gives all the character to this simple white sauce

Bechamel Sauce
serves 4

Ingredients:

3 cups of milk
1/2 of a yellow onion
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of grounded white pepper
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg


Place milk, onion, and bay leaf in a pot and bring it to a simmer.

Meanwhile heat a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add butter and flour to the pan and stir it around until the mixture is a deep golden color. Turn down the heat to medium-low and slowly add the simmering milk (discard onion and bay leaf) into the flour and butter mixture whisking it constantly to avoid big lumps to form. You should have a smooth, creamy sauce. Finally add salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Continue to cook it for another 6 minutes so all the flavors can combine. Turn off the heat.
Obs.: If adding cheese to your sauce do it right after you add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir it around over low heat until the cheese is all melted. Serve it right away.





Here is what I made with my Bechamel today. Recipes coming up soon, including the one of the lobster that happens to e in the plate with the Four Cheese Pasta!

1- Cheese Gnocchi Gratin (click to go to recipe)

2 - Four Cheese Pasta