Béchamel
/ Bechamel sauce is a white sauce,quite creamy in consistency
and texture, which is made with scalded milk plus equal parts
of both butter and flour. It is a base sauce for many French
recipes and sauces. The most commonly used bachamel sauce
by home cooks is the starter bechamel sauce for macaroni and
cheese.
To make a bechamel
sauce, scald one cup of water either on the stove top or in
the microwave. In a saucepan melt 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp
of flour for a thin bechamel sauce or 3 tbsp butter with 3
tbsp flour for a thick bechamel sauce. Once the butter is
melted, slowly pour the milk into the saucepan until heated
through. You do not want to mixture to start turning brown
(such as with a roux) since
bechamel is a white sauce.
You need to stir
the mixture constantly, as it can burn quite easily. If it
burns, you will need to start fresh, as the burned taste will
tarnish the entire dish that uses the burned bechamel sauce.
