Béchamel (white sauce)

Béchamel, otherwise known as white Sauce, and often referred to as  one of the five mother of French sauces.

It is quite versatile in that it can also be used as a base for other sauces such as mornay, cheese sauce, creme sauce. Béchamel sauce also holds together some of our favourite dishes such as lasagna, gratins,

• 600 ml milk
• 1 tsp garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ white onion
• Slurp of white wine (optional)
• 50 gm/ large tbsp butter
• ½ cup flour

1. Slowly bring milk to the boil but only until it is just at boiling point. The milk will start to froth.
2. Whilst warming the milk add finely diced onion, garlic and white wine, salt and pepper to taste to the milk.
3. Turn the milk off once boiled to make sure not to burn the milk on the bottom of the saucepan.
4. On the side in a small saucepan melt the butter. Slowly brown the butter.
5. As the butter browns bit by bit add the flour until you get a thick paste consistency which is as dry as possible.
6. Your butter and flour mix is the thickening agent for your white sauce called a roux. Slowly add the roux into the milk to thicken to the consistency that you  like. You don’t have to use all the roux. This step is done off the heat.
7. Now it is ready to serve. This is a white sauce for Silverside or a fish dish. If you were to add cheese to make it a cheese sauce it would go well over cauliflower or broccoli.