Bechamel sauce is an original italian recipe ( later on absorbed by the france cuisine) that in italian is "besciamella" pronunciated " 'bee-shee-a-mell-a' ( something like that)!
it is the same of " white sauce" but with a more complicated and fascion name!
It is a very simple sauce that is the base to so many dishes such as lasagna !
It is composed by literally three ingredients ( and does not include any cheese), therefore it needs to be well done and well balanced! It is a must skill to have if you are italian or if you are attempting to be as authentic to the italian cousin as possible! I have never tried the white sauce they sell in the shops in the UK to be honest, and I have no idea if they taste any close to the one I have tasted in my life. I have tried bechamel sauce already made in italy but I am sure it taste different as it does the cream and double cream to cook ( no idea why!) Let's find out how to do it, shall we ??
Doses for 1 liter of sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 100 g butter
- 100 g plain flour
- 1 L of milk ( whole or semi-skimmed)
- salt and nutmeg powder
EQUIPMENTS
- pan
PROCEDURE
Fist step will be to remove the milk from the fridge. We do not want this to be cold from the fridge when it goes in the pan. Alternatively you can slightly warm it up in the microwave or in a pan ( but do no let it boil!)
Now we need to make what the french call the "roux". The roux is a thick cream made by the butter and flour. This has to be smooth but thick almost solid. If this is not done well it will be a nightmare to try and attempt the next step so , use a bit more time and patience here before moving any further.
Cut the 100 g of butter in small cubes and put it on the hob at a low temperature until it is almost melted completely.
At this point turn off the hub and add all 100 g of flour. Whisk vigorously to prevent the formations of lumps!
Now turn on the hob again with still a low temperature and keep whisking until it becomes a goldened cream ( a bit thick but a cream!)
Now it is time to add the milk. Add a little bit of milk fist just to dilute the thick roux cream on the bottom. If you add all of the milk suddenly what it can happen is that the thick roux cream will remain on the bottom, will not mix with the milk, will then burn and ruin your cream. So just be patience!
Add a bit of milk, dilute the cream, when this is creamy enough then add the rest of the milk.
What is important is keep whisking with energy at all time!
It will seems like nothing is happening but if you leave it without stirring, the roux will precipitate again on the bottom and burn and ruin the cream. Trust me !
- Add here a pinch of salt and a pinch of nutmeg.
You will notice after few minutes that the cream will start to get a bit more dense.
You can stop the cream to become more thick by just taking it away from the hob as you prefer!
Based on the recipe you are doing you might need it more loose or more thick, it is entirely up to you!
And the cream is ready! serve it as you wish!
SUGGESTIONS
- You can keep the bechamel sauce in the fridge for 48h. Make sure you cover directly the surface of the cream with the clincing film as if you leave it to the air it will make a thick film on the surface making it impossible to become smooth again ( and unpleasant!)
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