Béchamel sauce If a thick sauce hardens and forms a film on it, then it was not cooked correctly. Properly prepared thick sauces have a silky smooth texture, and they need to cook for at least 25 minutes. Bechamel sauce is indispensable in the preparation of lasagna, soufflé and casseroles. Sauce base: The sauce is thick due to the combination of flour and fats. Usually butter and milk are used as fats, but you can also make a sauce based on vegetable oil and vegetable broth. Clump-Free Sauce: To make a clump-free sauce, add warm liquid to warm flour and fat mixture, or cold liquid to cold flour and fat mixture, and then stir quickly with a wooden spoon. When preparing the sauce in a double boiler, it must be stirred periodically. Seasonings: You can add vegetable puree, fried garlic, tomato sauce, fresh herbs, curry seasoning and grated cheese to the prepared sauce. Bechamel Sauce Recipe Ingredients:
2 cups milk ¼ cup finely chopped onion 1 bay leaf 3 parsley sprigs 3½ tablespoons butter 3½ tablespoons flour salt and ground white pepper ground nutmeg
Recipe: 1) In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, lightly heat the milk with the onion, bay leaf and parsley. It is not necessary to bring to a boil. Then take the pan off the stove and let it sit for 15 minutes. 2) In another pan, melt the butter, add the flour and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Then quickly pour the milk through a sieve and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens. 3) After that, reduce the heat and cook for another 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt, pepper, add nutmeg to taste. If you won’t be using the sauce right away, be sure to cover the sauce bowl with cling film. Bechamel sauce with herbs: In the prepared sauce, add ½ cup of finely chopped herbs: onion, thyme, tarragon or parsley. High calorie bechamel sauce: In the prepared sauce, add ½ cup of cream. Bechamel sauce for vegans: Replace butter with vegetable oil, and cow’s milk with soy milk or vegetable broth. Bechamel cheese sauce: In the prepared sauce, add ½ cup grated Cheddar or Gruyere or Swiss cheese, a pinch of cayenne pepper and 2-3 teaspoons of Dijon mustard. Serve this sauce with broccoli, cauliflower, or kale. : deborahmadison.com : Lakshmi