 Béchamel SauceAs featured in our book Verdure - Vegetables the Italian Way
A basic ingredient in many baked vegetable dishes. Always make a generous amount when using the sauce with vegetables because it is difficult to predict how much they will absorb. If you make too much, use it to revive leftover vegetables or pasta by combining them with the béchamel in an ovenproof dish (with a little tomato sauce if you have it). Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes in a hot oven. |
Ingredients
- 2 cups (16 fl oz/500 ml) milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60g) plain flour
- pinch of salt
Serves - 4
Preparation - 5 minutes
Cooking - 7-8 minutes
Level of difficulty - Simple |
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Heat the milk in a saucepan until it is almost boiling. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter with the flour over low heat, stirring rapidly with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 1 minute.
Remove from heat and add half the hot milk, stirring constantly. Return to low heat and stir until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the rest of the milk gradually and continue stirring until it comes to a boil.
Season with salt to taste and continue stirring until the béchamel is the right thickness. If any lumps form, beat the sauce rapidly with a fork or whisk until they dissolve. |
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