How To Make Béchamel Sauce
Creamy Béchamel sauce or as you may know it 'white sauce' uses simple ingredients, is extremely versatile, smooth and creamy.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- ½ cup flour
- 3 cups milk full cream
- salt pinch
Sauce Options
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ground or grated
- ½ cup cheese
- ½ teaspoon garlic & herb seasoning - Smell and Taste
- ½ teaspoon vegetable seasoning - Smell and Taste
Instructions
- On medium heat, melt the butter in a non stick saucepan.
- As it melts, add the flour and stir in using a wooden spoon (you can also whisk the ingredients in) It will immediately start to thicken. Pour in the milk, in parts. As you stir gradually add the milk and keep going until you have your desired consistency.
- Once the sauce is smooth and cooked through (no flour taste) remove it from the heat and add cheese and seasoning if using any.
- After you've added the cheese the sauce will no longer be silky smooth but you can go ahead and use it! If you want it extra smooth again, put it back on low heat, add a drop more milk and stir in the cheese.
Notes
Notes on White Sauce
The reason that a simple white sauce/béchamel sauce can be a bit intimidating is that you might think there's one way to make it and if doesnt come out right you messed it up? That's not true, you can fix it and have a smooth and creamy sauce! See the images in this post for reference.
Points to remember:
You don't have to use full cream milk, you can make it with low fat but I wouldn't advise fat free please.
The heat must be on low and you simply must be patient, period. Understand that you're going to be by the stove for about 10 minutes.
If it's lumpy the flour is not cooking through so add milk and whisk until smooth. Same if you see it's too thick, add milk and stir!
If it's too thin because you didn't add the milk in parts and poured the whole lot in then you need to thicken it.
Emergency thickening
Pour a dash of milk and a teaspoon of flour (approximately) into a cup and make a paste. Add the paste into the sauce and mix it in.
If you add the flour directly into the sauce it may create lumps that you cant whisk away.
If the sauce has been standing for a while and thickens simply add a dash of milk and stir it up.
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