Béchamel sauce

Béchamel sauce

A base sauce that everyone can make and then use for many other sauces

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 750ml

Preparation and cooking times

Ready in 30 minutes

Method

  1. Put the milk in a saucepan with the bay leaf, parsley stalks (if using) and peppercorns and bring to a simmer. Strain into a jug and rinse the pan out. Put the pan back on the heat and gently melt the butter, stir in the flour (use a wooden spoon or mini whisk) and cook for 1 minute, don't let the butter or flour brown at all. Take the pan off the heat and add the milk in 3 stages. At each stage beat or whisk the milk into the flour until it is completely smooth.
  2. Once the flour is all in, bring the mixture back up to a simmer, stirring all the time to stop any lumps forming. Once the mixture looks as if it won't thicken any more, simmer it for 5 minutes, stirring/whisking now and then, until it looks really glossy. Season with salt and white pepper (or black if you don't mind the speckles). if you do have a few lumps, just strain the lot through a sieve.

Per batch

882 kcalories, protein 23.8g, carbohydrate 57.3g, fat 63.5 g, saturated fat 39.7g, fibre 0.88g, salt 1.41 g

Recipe from olive magazine, October 2008.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 750ml

Preparation and cooking times

Ready in 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 600ml whole milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • a handful parsley stalks (optional)
  • 6 peppercorns
  • 50g butter
  • 40g plain flour
  • white pepper for seasoning (optional)
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Per batch

882 kcalories, protein 23.8g, carbohydrate 57.3g, fat 63.5 g, saturated fat 39.7g, fibre 0.88g, salt 1.41 g

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