How to make bechamel (white sauce)

We show you how to make a classic roux then stir your way to a perfect white sauce, which can be easily adapted into a rich, creamy cheese sauce.

For the perfect white sauce:

Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in an equal amount of flour and cook the mixture for just under a minute – known as a roux.
Stir in milk, a little at a time, making sure to stir well so that no lumps form.
Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring constantly, so that the mixture thickens and becomes glossy. Boil for a couple of minutes.
To make a cheese sauce, add grated cheese off the heat. Season well.

Don’t cook the roux for too long – it can impede the flour’s thickening abilities.

Stir constantly so the mixture doesn’t go lumpy, or catch at the bottom and affect the taste and appearance of the sauce.

Add different ingredients to make different variations: cheese, parsley, watercress.

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