Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

sauce bÉchamel

(2 ratings)
Recipe by
Jen Smallwood
St. Cloud, FL

This roux-thickened sauce is the basis of most cream sauces, cheese sauces, and gravies, and used widely in Italian and Greek cuisine as well. 1 that all home cooks should have in the recipe box...

(2 ratings)
yield 4 -6 servings
prep time 5 Min
cook time 15 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For sauce bÉchamel

  • 2 Tbsp
    butter
  • 2 Tbsp
    finely chopped shallot, optional
  • 2 Tbsp
    all purpose flour
  • 2 c
    milk
  • sea salt & pepper - to taste
  • pinch
    freshly grounded nutmeg

How To Make sauce bÉchamel

  • 1
    Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. If using, add shallot and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles and looks like wet sand, being careful not to brown the flour (reduce heat, if necessary). Slowly whisk in milk in ½-cup batches. Bring to a gentle boil, whisking constantly. When sauce thickens, reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking occasionally and scraping bottom and sides of pan, for about 10 minutes, or until sauce is desired consistency. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.
  • 2
    If sauce is lumpy, pass through fine strainer
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT