Bechamel sauce, also called white sauce, adds a delicate creaminess to lasagne, cauliflower gratin and other comforting dishes.
While it is an impressive sauce to add to meals, you don’t need to be a fancy chef to make bechamel. This recipe is easy to follow and gives you a delicious sauce fast.
Ingredients
Method
Melt butter in medium saucepan, add flour; cook, stirring, until mixture bubbles and thickens.
Gradually add milk, stirring, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in nutmeg.
Test Kitchen tips for making bechamel sauce
What is bechamel sauce?
Bechamel is one of the “mother” or base sauces of classic French cooking and probably the one sauce that most people learn to cook before leaving home. Bechamel (or white sauce) is made by adding hot milk to a blond roux.
What is in bechamel sauce?
The essential ingredients for a bechamel or white sauce are plain flour, butter, milk and nutmeg. Some recipes also call for salt to season but you may want to taste it first if you’ve used salted butter. It always starts with a roux.
What is a roux?
Flour-based sauces are built around a “roux” — a paste made from equal parts melted butter and flour — to which hot liquid is added. The roux is then absorbed by the liquid, to thicken it without lumps.
The sauces that are created from a roux are determined by how long the roux is cooked for and by the type of hot liquid that is added. For a blond roux, flour and butter are cooked briefly, before hot liquid is added.
How to fix a lumpy sauce
If, despite your best efforts, your sauce is lumpy, try whisking it first, and if that fails, blend with a stick blender in the saucepan until it is smooth, or strain the sauce by pushing the lumpy bits through a fine sieve.
How to use bechamel sauce
Use bechamel (also called white sauce) in pasta dishes like lasagne, or serve with grilled fish fillets or corned beef. It’s the base for many other sauces, including mornay.
White sauce is drizzled over cauliflower, used in moussaka and gratins. It’s sometimes used in soups, and stars in the old-fashioned favourite, macaroni and cheese. Cheese is a popular variation to this sauce, as are onions and mushrooms.
Can you make bechamel sauce in advance?
You can make sauce ahead of time but, to make sure a skin doesn’t form on the sauce, cover its surface with plastic wrap. Pour sauce into an airtight container, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat by whisking over low heat.
Does bechamel taste like alfredo?
Alfredo and bechamel are similar in the sense that they are both considered creamy sauces. Bechamel is typically lighter in texture and flavour as it’s made from butter, flour and milk, while alfredo is made with butter, cream and parmesan. While we’re on the subject of differences, it’s also good to know that alfredo sauce is a classic Italian sauce (rather than a French one).
How to make a larger quantity of bechamel sauce
This makes enough bechamel for a classic lasagne.
- 125g butter
- ¾ cup (110g) plain flour
- 1.25 litres (5 cups) hot milk
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, so it keeps its colour and doesn’t brown. Sprinkle the flour over melted butter, then stir well with a wooden spoon until butter is incorporated and the mixture forms a smooth paste.
- Pour in half the milk, whisking continuously into the roux until liquid is completely incorporated and starts to thicken. Add remaining milk in a thin steady stream, whisking vigorously until mixture is smooth.
- Bring the white sauce to the boil; boil thoroughly so the mixture thickens. Reduce the heat to low and cook the mixture for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, to cook out the raw taste of the flour. Leave to cool until ready to use.
Bechamel (white sauce) variations
Greek-style white sauce
Make larger quantity of bechamel as above, using 3½ cups milk and 1½ cups Greek-style yoghurt. Add 100g crumbled fetta and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg to cooked sauce. Pair with lamb bolognese sauce and pasta sheets for a lasagne or layer with grilled eggplant.
Spinach white sauce
Make larger quantity of bechamel as above. Add 100g baby spinach leaves to a pan of boiling water; drain, cool under running water. Squeeze out excess water. Stir into sauce with ½ cup mascarpone and 2 teaspoons zested lemon rind. Pair with bolognese sauce and pasta sheets for lasagne.
