Béchamel Sauce

Just the name was totally intimidating to me! It shouldn’t have though!

I have watched my mom making her own béchamel sauce since I can remember. And yet, up to five years ago, I had never made it. Then, one day, I went to a cooking class expecting that some magical ritual would finally be revealed to me so that I would be enabled to recreate so creamy a beauty myself… only to find out that it’s just a question of process and practice… as is the case for many things in life. 🙂

Let me pass on to you a couple of helpful tips that I retained from that cooking class: (1) keep whisking for at least 20 minutes otherwise the flour stays raw and (2) a good non-stick pot is the key to a successful sauce. I know that pots can be very expensive but, as one
of my teachers used to say, “Ladies, less shoes more kitchen tools!” – I have learned from experience that he was right, and so will you. 😉

Ingredients:

4 3/4 Tbsp, butter
½ Cup, flour
7 Cups, whole milk
Salt
Ground black pepper
Nutmeg

Directions:

In a large non-stick pot, pour the milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg (to taste) and heat until the milk is just about to boil.

Meanwhile, in a separate non-stick pan and on a very low heat, melt the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and stir until you obtain a golden mixture (the professionals call this mixture a “roux” – a French word that is pronounced “roo”).

Add the roux to the milk and cook on low heat, whisking continuously, until very smooth.