How to Make Béchamel Sauce
This is my technique for making lump-free béchamel sauce. The secrets are:
- low heat
- using a whisk
- hot milk
- constant stirring
50g butter
1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
250ml hot milk (300ml for a thinner sauce)
salt
pepper
nutmeg (optional)
- Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan.
- Add the flour and whisk well until you get a smooth paste, then cook for another minute to lightly toast the flour, stirring constantly.
- Start adding the milk slowly... like making mayonnaise. At the same time, whisk the sauce. Continue the same way: pour a little milk, incorporate with the whisk, more milk, whisk again, until all the milk is added (work with both hands - pour the milk with one hand while whisking with the other).
* When you've added all the milk, if the sauce is thicker than desired, you can add a bit more hot milk. - Let the sauce simmer for another minute while stirring constantly.
- Season with salt, pepper, and optionally a little nutmeg.
Fry the flour in butter
Add the milk, continuously whisking
Zero lumps