Home

Pasta

Risotto

Wine

Ingredients

Restaurants

Library

Editor's page

E-mail to the editor

The object is to make a smooth, luxurious and elegant white sauce.

As you prepare the béchamel, there are three major givens:

>> do not let the flour become colored (gives it a burnt taste)
>> add the milk to the flour mixture very slowly, off the heat
>> never stop stirring

for the sauce:

• three cups whole milk
• four tablespoons butter
• one-quarter cup flour
• one-quarter teaspoon salt
• touch of white pepper if available, black otherwise
• couple pinches freshly grated nutmeg

Heat the milk in a separate saucepan, almost but not quite to a boil.

Melt the butter in another saucepan, over medium heat. When the butter has melted completely, turn the heat to low, add the flour, stirring, and then whisking until smooth, about two minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the milk very slowly, a couple of tablespoons at a time at the start, whisking all the while.  When half the milk has been incorporated into the flour, you may add the milk a little more rapidly. Continue to whisk until the sauce is creamy and smooth.

Put the pan on a simmer, add the salt and pepper and nutmeg, and simmer for about ten minutes, stirring all the while, until the sauce is about as dense as whipping cream. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.

Set aside. If you have to wait a while until you use  the béchamel, you can re-heat it again just before using. But reheat it under an extremely low heat, and just to get it warmed. And stir while you are reheating!

Home | Pasta | Risotto | Wine | Ingredients | Restaurants | Library | Editor's page | E-mail to the editor

© 2006 classic pasta. All Rights Reserved.