Mastering Béchamel Sauce
This is the backbone of many classics, from mac and cheese to lasagna. Once you master the ratio, you can control the thickness of the sauce by adjusting the ratio of roux to milk.
Control the heat to prevent burning
Keep your whisk moving constantly to ensure the starch is fully incorporated without scorching the bottom of the pan.
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
What goes in.
- 3 tbspunsalted butter
- 3 tbspall-purpose flour
- 2 cupswhole milk, cold
- pinchkosher salt
- pinchfreshly grated nutmeg
Tempering the Roux
Add the first quarter-cup of milk to the hot roux and whisk vigorously; it will seize into a thick paste. Only once that paste is smooth should you slowly stream in the rest of the milk.
The method.
Melt the butter
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Let the butter foam, but do not allow it to brown.
Cook the roux
Add the flour all at once. Whisk for two minutes until it smells like shortbread and loses its raw, dusty scent.
Incorporate the milk
Pour in a splash of cold milk and whisk until smooth. Continue adding the remaining milk in a slow, steady stream while whisking to remove any lumps.
Simmer to thicken
Raise heat to medium. Simmer for five minutes, whisking occasionally, until the sauce coats the back of your spoon.
Season
Remove from heat. Stir in salt and nutmeg. Taste and adjust.
Other turns to take.
Mornay
Stir in a handful of shredded Gruyère or sharp cheddar once the sauce is finished.
Soubise
Whisk in finely pureed, butter-sautéed onions for a sweeter base.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If lumps appear, don't panic. Pass the finished sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
Keep the heat low. Flour browns quickly, and burnt flour ruins the entire batch.
Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the sauce while it cools to prevent a skin from forming.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my sauce turn out grainy?
Usually, this happens if you added the milk too quickly or didn't cook the flour long enough initially.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. Reheat it over very low heat with an extra splash of milk to loosen it up.
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