Sauce Bechamel is a milk based French Mother Sauce. It is used as a simple base to make popular secondary sauces such as Sauce Mornay, Cheddar Cheese Sauce, or even a simple cream sauce.
Standard Bechamel Recipe
- 4 oz/125 grams white roux
- 1 qt/1 L milk (Any milk will use but whole milk is preferred)
- 1/4 white onion, skin peeled off
- 1 whole clove
- 1 whole bay leaf
- Salt, White Pepper and Nutmeg To Taste
- Start by making a white roux.
- In a separate pot, heat up milk to a simmer.
- Add roux to the milk, making sure that both the milk and the roux are not too hot.
- Whisk the roux and milk together and bring to a simmer.
- Stick your bay leaf to your white onion with your whole clove, and place in simmering milk.
- Simmer for about 30 minutes, and thin with milk if necessary.
- Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste. The nutmeg should not be prevalent, but instead should add depth of flavor.
- Finish by straining through a chinois.
Bechamel Based Secondary Sauces
Almost any milk or cream based sauce that you will make, will be based on classical Bechamel. Below are some popular secondary sauces that are based on this recipe. Each recipe below is based on 1 qt/1 L of Bechamel, which is what the recipe above yields.
Standard Cream Sauce
- Add 4-8 oz of heavy cream, heated or tempered
- Season with salt, white pepper and lemon juice to taste
- Add your favorite herbs and spices to taste
- Strain through a chinois to insure a smooth, creamy texture
Mornay Sauce
- Stir in 4 oz of Gruyere and 2 oz of Parmesan cheese, both grated
- Turn off heat and swirl in 2 oz of raw butter
- Adjust consistency with warm milk as necessary
Cheddar Cheese Sauce
- 8 oz cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Stir all ingredients into warm Bechamel until cheddar cheese is melted
Simple Mustard Sauce
- Stir in 4-6 oz of good dijon mustard
- Finish off the flame by swirling in 2-4 oz of raw butter
- Strain through a chinois
For more information on Bechamel and it’s derivatives, listen to The Free Culinary School Podcast Episode 10.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank’s a bunch ! I already tried to made my very own Béchamel Sauce and it was a complete success !
Thank you all !
I glad the Bechamel worked out good for you. What did you end up serving it with?
jacob, i am so excited and can’t wait with to try the recipe here. you know what i tried portugese sardines with macormick pesto but usually i use red pesto for that then i add some dill.yummy… i always have your website up in my pc when i’m in idle time at work i keep on reading it…its so helpful.
@ Chedones,
Hopefully my website isn’t distracting you too much from your job…let me know how your creations turn out.
I was bored at work and stumbled across your site when googling rouxs. My wife is a vegetarian (and I’m the meat eating cook), so I’m always trying to find dishes that we can both enjoy. I don’t know if anything similar exists but thought I would share my bechamel based dish.
I start out by making a bechamel. I heat up a few vegetarian italian sausages (I’m sure real sausage with the renderings used for the roux would be better) in the microwave. I crumble and add the “meat” to the bechamel and simmer briefly. I finish by adding about a pound of frozen leaf spinach.
The spinach serves as a mjor binder and completely changes it from a sauce into more of a side dish. The resulting product is sort of like a mixture between thanksgiving stuffing and creamed spinach with a decidedly italian twist. I serve this over rigatoni and it’s delicious. When I take it with me to work I add some fried genoa salami and it rocks my socks off.
Thank you Jacob, I have made bechamel before but never to the exact amounts and condiments… maybe I’ve never made a real bechamel?!, anyway I made Musakka and my guests and I totally enjoyed. Thank you.
Love your site.
Thanks a whole bunch help me study the french sauces help me pass my tests. I love your site. Left the site with others that needed help in certian areas of the culinary arts , they appreciates it.