Mastering Béchamel Sauce
A proper béchamel is the foundation for everything from lasagna to creamy vegetable gratins. It relies on a steady hand and temperature control rather than complex ingredients.
Control the heat to avoid grainy sauce.
Keep your heat at medium-low. If the roux browns, the sauce loses its characteristic ivory color and clean flavor.
- heavy-bottomed saucepan
- balloon whisk
- measuring jug
What goes in.
- 2 tbspunsalted butter
- 2 tbspall-purpose flour
- 2 cupswhole milk, warmed
- 1 pinchnutmeg, freshly grated
- to tastekosher salt
The Tempering Method
Adding warmed milk to the roux prevents the flour from seizing, which is the primary cause of lumpy sauce. Whisk constantly in a figure-eight motion to reach every corner of the pan.
The method.
Melt the butter
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Let the butter melt until it bubbles but does not darken.
Cook the roux
Add the flour and stir continuously for two minutes. The mixture should look like wet sand and smell like toasted grain.
Incorporate milk
Pour in about one-quarter of the warm milk while whisking vigorously. Once absorbed, add the remaining milk in a steady stream.
Simmer to thicken
Continue whisking until the sauce comes to a bare simmer. It is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clear track when you draw a finger through it.
Season
Remove from the heat. Whisk in the nutmeg and salt.
Other turns to take.
Mornay Sauce
Stir in a half-cup of grated Gruyère or sharp cheddar once the sauce has thickened and been removed from the heat.
Soubise
Fold in finely minced onions that have been sweated in butter until soft and translucent before adding the milk.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the sauce develops lumps despite your best efforts, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
Use a whisk with a rounded edge that matches the curve of your saucepan to ensure no roux gets stuck in the corners.
Keep a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the sauce if you aren't using it immediately to prevent a skin from forming.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why is my sauce thin?
The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. If it remains too thin after simmering, keep it on low heat for another minute or two, whisking constantly.
Can I use cold milk?
You can, but the roux will seize more aggressively. If you do use cold milk, add it very slowly, a few tablespoons at a time, until the roux thins out.