# Exquisite Bechamel White Sauce: A Culinary Journey Through History and Flavor
Bechamel sauce, also known as white sauce, is a culinary masterpiece that has graced kitchens and graced palates for centuries. Its origins can be traced back to French cuisine, where it is considered one of the five mother sauces, the foundation upon which countless culinary creations are built. Bechamel's versatility knows no bounds, as it can be effortlessly transformed into a variety of delectable dishes, each with its own unique flavor profile and texture.
From the classic Mornay sauce, a rich and cheesy delight, to the light and airy Soubise sauce, infused with the delicate flavor of onions, bechamel serves as the perfect canvas for a symphony of flavors. Whether you seek a creamy and comforting sauce to accompany your favorite pasta, a luscious filling for your savory pies and lasagna, or a velvety base for your gratin and casseroles, bechamel stands ready to elevate your culinary creations to new heights of deliciousness.
## Recipes to Tantalize Your Taste Buds:
1. **Classic Bechamel Sauce:**
- Master the art of creating the quintessential bechamel sauce with this foundational recipe. Learn the perfect balance of butter, flour, and milk, resulting in a smooth and luscious sauce that will enhance any dish.
2. **Mornay Sauce:**
- Embark on a culinary adventure with this luscious Mornay sauce, a bechamel-based sauce enriched with grated cheese. Experience the harmonious blend of creamy bechamel and melted cheese, creating a decadent and flavorful sauce that will transform your pasta, vegetables, and meat dishes into culinary masterpieces.
3. **Soubise Sauce:**
- Discover the delicate allure of Soubise sauce, a bechamel-based sauce infused with the subtle sweetness of onions. This velvety and aromatic sauce will elevate your dishes with its refined flavor, adding a touch of elegance to your culinary creations.
4. **Cheese Sauce:**
- Indulge in the ultimate comfort food experience with this irresistible cheese sauce. Combining bechamel sauce with a generous amount of grated cheese, this sauce will envelop your taste buds in a warm and comforting embrace. Enjoy it as a dip for your favorite snacks, a topping for your nachos, or as a luscious filling for your sandwiches and quesadillas.
5. **Broccoli and Cheese Sauce:**
- Embark on a culinary journey that combines the goodness of broccoli and the richness of cheese in this delectable sauce. Fresh broccoli florets are enveloped in a creamy bechamel sauce, creating a vibrant and flavorful sauce that will add a touch of green goodness to your pasta, chicken, and vegetable dishes.
6. **Cauliflower Cheese Sauce:**
- Experience the delightful combination of cauliflower and cheese in this creamy and satisfying sauce. Roasted cauliflower florets are blended into a smooth bechamel sauce, resulting in a velvety and flavorful sauce that will elevate your dishes with its unique and savory taste.
7. **Béchamel Sauce with Mushrooms:**
- Embark on a savory adventure with this bechamel sauce infused with the earthy flavors of mushrooms. Sautéed mushrooms are incorporated into a creamy bechamel sauce, creating a rich and aromatic sauce that will transform your pasta, meat, and vegetable dishes into culinary masterpieces.
CLASSIC BECHAMEL: WHITE SAUCE
Provided by Tyler Florence
Time 25m
Yield 2 cups
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk and 1 bay leaf to a gentle simmer, stirring so it doesn't scorch the bottom of the pan. Keep the milk on low heat.
- Make a white roux by melting butter over low-medium heat in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste. Do not allow to brown. Remove from heat, then gradually add a bit of the warm milk to the roux and whisk vigorously. Return the saucepan to the heat and bring up to a low simmer, continuing to add more milk and whisk. Cook for 5 minutes until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Check seasoning; add salt, white pepper, garlic and the remaining bay leaf.
- To prevent a skin from forming as the sauce cools, lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface.
- Serve with fish, shellfish, vegetables or egg dishes.
BASIC BECHAMEL (WHITE) SAUCE WITH VARIATIONS INCLUDING AU GRATIN
Bechamel is one of the five mother sauces. This means it is a base for many things. If used plain, frequently onion and nutmeg are added. Keep this recipe and you don't need a bunch of recipes for variations like Au Gratin. Make it your own.
Provided by Ambervim
Categories Sauces
Time 10m
Yield 1 Cup
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook over medium, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- NOTE - It is best to use warm to hot liquids when making sauce, which helps to prevent lumps. Also, constant stirring will help prevent the sauce from scorching on the bottom. If sauce turns lumpy, whisk vigorously with a wire whip or strain through a wire sieve before serving.
- Stir in milk or other liquid. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Option: Reduce milk by the same amount you add white wine, sherry or brandy will create a lovely flavor.
- CHEESE SAUCE - Once sauce is made, remove from heat and stir in 1/2 to 1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese (or whatever flavor compliments what you are making -- better yet use 2 different cheeses), stirring until melted. To Au Gratin anything use this sauce mixed with potatoes, veggies, meats or whatever and heat through. Top with seasoned bread crumbs and more cheese finishing in the broiler.
- CURRY SAUCE - Stir in 1/2 teaspoon curry powder with the flour.
- DILL SAUCE - Stir in 1 teaspoon chopped fresh, or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed and a dash of ground nutmeg with the flour.
- MORNAY SAUCE.
- Add 1/2 cup grated cheese to 1 cup of hot sauce; stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Season with a little mustard or Worcestershire sauce to taste.
- VELOUTE SAUCE.
- Substitute chicken, beef, fish, or vegetable broth for the milk.
- HERB SAUCE.
- Add 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped herbs or 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs to 1 cup of hot sauce. Cook for a minute or two longer to get more flavor from the herbs.
- CREAM SAUCE.
- Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of heavy cream to the finished sauce. For an onion flavor, add an onion slice to the milk when heating; remove onion slice before adding milk to flour and butter mixture.
- MUSTARD SAUCE.
- Combine 1 teaspoon dry mustard to flour used in sauce. This sauce is especially good with fish and chicken.
BASIC WHITE SAUCE/BECHAMEL SAUCE
This white sauce can be used in so many different ways. Add Cheese,Curry Powder,Dill,or Horseradish Add canned Tuna,Ham,Hamburger,Sausage. Lots of things can be done with this sauce.
Provided by Braunda
Categories Sauces
Time 20m
Yield 1 Cup
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Melt butter in saucepan over low heat until it bubbles up. Blend in flour. This is the roux.
- In another pan, warm the milk. Infuse with flavours, if desired.
- Strain milk into the roux, combine and bring to boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
- Adjust taste by adding salt and pepper. Strain.
BASIC BECHAMEL (WHITE SAUCE)
This classic sauce, sometimes simply called white sauce, adds a rich and creamy quality to a variety of vegetable dishes. It can be spooned over hot cooked vegetables just before serving or mixed with them to make an easy yet elegant creamed vegetable course. To turn the creamed vegetables into a gratin, place in a baking dish, top with cheese and then bake in the oven until golden. Personally, my favorite use of bechamel sauce is to make Recipe #514039. (Sorry about that, folks... but that is what my mother always called it). Enjoy. *Note See steps #5 & #6 if desiring a thinner bechamel or a cheese sauce. *Note: I have also been known to sub 1/4 cup of the liquids with 1/4 cup white wine (but that's my little secret... at least it used to be).
Provided by rosie316
Categories Sauces
Time 10m
Yield 2 cups
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until blended, 1 minute. Add the paprika and/or nutmeg (if using) and add the bay leaf.
- Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper.
- Increase the heat to medium and simmer to blend the flavors, 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf before using.
- Now you can use your sauce any way you like. Like I said before, my personal favorite use is for making Recipe #514039, but I also like eating this bechamel, AS IS, on veggies or making a cheese sauce (see *Notes below). Enjoy!
- *Note: For a thinner sauce, reduce the flour and butter to 2 tablespoons each, but stay the same with the liquid(s). (I highly recommend this if you plan to make a cheese sauce with this (posted below).
- *Note: To create a cheese sauce, whisk 1/2 cup (or more) of grated Gruyère, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Sharp Cheddar or Farm-house White Cheddar (my fav) or any other cheese into the finished béchamel sauce. If a lighter cheese sauce is desired, substitute chicken stock for part of the milk, or use a lesser amount of the flour & butter ratio (like posted above).
BECHAMEL - BASIC WHITE SAUCE
Make and share this Bechamel - Basic White Sauce recipe from Food.com.
Provided by kiwidutch
Categories Sauces
Time 25m
Yield 2 cups, 6-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Scald the milk with the onion, bay leaf and peppercorns.
- Cover and let infuse off heat for 10-15 minutes.
- In a heavy based saucepan, melt butter, whisk in flour and cook, stirring, until the flour is foaming but not browned- about 1 minute.
- Off heat, strain in the hot milk.
- Whisk well, then bring to a boil, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens.
- season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and leave to simmer slowly for 1-2 minutes.
- NOTE: This make what is called a "MEDIUM" Bechamel.
- For a "THIN" Bechamel use 2 tbs. butter and 2 tbs. flour.
- For a "THICK" Bechamel use 4 tbs. butter and 4 tbs. flour.
BECHAMEL (WHITE SAUCE)
This easy-to-make sauce is delicious over chicken, pasta, steamed veggies, and more! While the recipe calls for 2 cups of milk, you may need to add 1 Tbs. - 1/4 cup more to thin, depending on your heat and other variables. Remember, sauces thicken as they cool, but they still take quite a while to thicken (up to 15 minutes, depending on your heat).
Provided by ABfan13
Categories Sauces
Time 15m
Yield 2 1/2 cups, 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour, stirring constantly, about 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add in the milk, stirring constantly, until thoroughly incorporated into butter mixture.
- Add salt, pepper, oregano, and minced garlic (I like using my garlic press for this). Stir frequently until thickened. See note for tip on thinning.
SAUCE BECHAMEL AUX CHAMPIGNONS (WHITE SAUCE WITH MUSHROOMS)
A easy sauce that works very well on vegetables and fish. Can be prepared with or without the mushrooms. This recipe comes from Marie Antonin Careme, "L'Art de la cuisine francaise au dix-neuvieme siecle", 1854, vol III. Preparation and cook times are approximate. Enjoy.
Provided by -GEORGE-
Categories European
Time 15m
Yield 3-4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Prepare a sauce bechamel:.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
- Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Do not allow the flour to brown.
- Gradually mix in the milk and bring to a low boil.
- When the sauce is thick and smooth, stir in the nutmeg and pepper.
- Taste for salt.
- Keep the sauce at a low simmer until needed.
- Prepare the mushrooms:.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a fry pan over medium heat.
- Add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle lightly with salt and cook.
- Stir often to prevent burning.
- When the mushrooms start to release water, add the lemon juice and increase the heat to high.
- When all the liquid has evaporated, add the mushrooms to the sauce.
- Just before serving, off the heat, stir in the last 1 tablespoon of butter.
SPEEDY WHITE SAUCE (BECHAMEL)-A CHEATS VERSION!
You can't beat a well made bechamel sauce-BUT,if time is short,this is a quick,simple and foolproof version.
Provided by Noo8820
Categories Sauces
Time 10m
Yield 1 1/2 cup approx
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan and whisk over moderate heat until thickened and smooth.
- NB-You may wish to add a little more milk at this stage,depending on how thick you want it.
WHITE BECHAMEL SAUCE
Steps:
- Cook's Note: The halibut can be substituted with 24 ounces of sole fillets. Reduce the cooking time in the wine mixture to 3 to 4 minutes. Spray a 7 by 11-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside. For the bechamel sauce: In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. For the halibut: In a large saucepan, bring the wine and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the halibut. Cover the pan and cook until the flesh is opaque, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a fish spatula, carefully remove the fish and arrange in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat a broiler. Spoon the bechamel sauce over the fish and top with the Parmesan. Dot with butter and broil until golden, 2 to 4 minutes. Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/broiled-halibut-with-bechamel-sauce-recipe.html?oc=linkback
Tips:
- Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to prevent the sauce from scorching.
- Make sure the butter is melted and bubbling before adding the flour.
- Whisk the flour and butter together until smooth to form a roux.
- Cook the roux for 1-2 minutes, or until it is a light golden brown color.
- Gradually whisk in the milk, a little at a time, until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until it has thickened to your desired consistency.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, to taste.
- Use the sauce immediately, or store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Conclusion:
Bechamel sauce, also known as white sauce, is a versatile and flavorful sauce that can be used in a variety of dishes. It is made with a roux, which is a mixture of butter and flour, and milk. The sauce is then seasoned with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Bechamel sauce can be used as a base for other sauces, such as cheese sauce or Alfredo sauce. It can also be used in casseroles, soups, and stews. Bechamel sauce is a classic French sauce that is sure to impress your family and friends.
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