Béchamel Sauce

1. Béchamel

2 tablespoons butter

4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 pinch nutmeg

To Make

Measure the ingredients. The ratio of milk to flour to butter is very important in Bechamel sauce, since the texture and flavor of the sauce relies on only these three ingredients. Be sure to use exact measurements: 2 tablespoons butter, 4 1/2 tablespoons flour, and 3 cups milk.

If you prefer a thicker sauce, scale back the flour by 1/2 cup. For a more liquid sauce, add 1/2 cup milk.

Using full fat milk will result in a thicker sauce than using low fat or skim milk.

Warm the milk. Pour the milk into a small saucepan. Set it on a burner and turn the heat to medium low. Warm the milk thoroughly, but do not let it boil. Remove the milk from heat when it is warm and cover. 

If you prefer, you can heat the milk in the microwave. Use a low setting and heat the milk for 1 minute. Check to see if it is heated; if not, place it back in the microwave and heat it for another minute.

If the milk comes to a boil, it's best to start over with new milk, since this can affect the flavor.

The 5 French Mother Sauces

1. Béchamel

This is roux whisked with milk or other dairy to make a white sauce. Ever made macaroni and cheese or chicken pot pie? The base of both these dishes is béchamel. By itself, béchamel is quite bland, which is why it is usually cooked with other ingredients and not used as a finishing sauce.

2. Velouté

A velouté I’d a light roux whisked with chicken, turkey, fish or any other clear stock. The resulting sauce takes on the flavor of the stock, and the name is derived from the Frenchie.  word for velvet, which aptly describes this smooth but light and delicate sauce. It is usually served over fish or poultry that has been delicately cooked, like by poaching or steaming.

3. Espagnole

Sauce espagnole is a basic brown sauce. It's made of brown beef or veal stock, tomato puree, and browned mirepoix, all thickened with a very dark brown roux. This sauce is sometimes used at the foundation for boeuf bourguinon and demi-glacé.

4. Sauce Tomate

This is made by cooking tomatoes down into a thick sauce but used to also be thickened with roux. Unlike more modern-day tomato sauces, the classic French tomato sauce is flavored with pork and aromatic vegetables

5. Hollandaise 

This is the one mother sauce not thickened by a roux. Instead, it's thickened by an emulsion of egg yolk and melted butter, which means it's a stable mixture of two things that usually normally can't blend together. This is a very delicate sauce because the emulsion can easily break, and rich hollandaise is usually used as a dipping sauce for asparagus or a finishing sauce for dishes like eggs Benedict.

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