Sauce
Béchamel Sauce
SauceOrigin: France
White sauce of butter, flour and milk — the base for lasagne, gratins and many French dishes.
Prep
5 min
Cook
15 min
Total time
20 min
Portions
6
Total weight
584 g
Per portion
97.3 g
Ingredients
Method
Make the roux
- Warm the milk in a small pan until steaming (do not boil). In a separate pan over medium heat, melt the butter until foaming.
- Stir in the flour and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the paste smells slightly nutty but stays pale — this is the roux.
Add milk and simmer
- Off the heat, whisk in about a third of the warm milk until smooth, then the rest. Return to medium heat.
- Simmer gently 5–8 minutes, whisking often, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and no flour taste remains. Season with salt and pepper. For a silkier sauce, pass through a sieve.
Serving
Use hot poured over vegetables or pasta, or cool slightly for layering in bakes.
Storage
Press cling film onto the surface and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat gently with a splash of milk, whisking out lumps.