Bechamel Sauce (Flour Based) and Variations

Sauce to serve with meals or as topping. Semi-liquid béchamel sauce can be poured over vegetables, rice, etc. (esp goes well with roasted asparagus)

Pour over Casseroles for Vegetable, pasta and fish bakes. Top with béchamel and breadcrumbs or béchamel and cheese and bake. Especially can be used for creaming in macaroni cheese, lasagne and moussaka, au gratin potatoes, spinach or chard gratin etc

Basic white sauce (Bechamal)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter (or clarified Ghee or Vegan Butter like eartbalance)
2 Tbsp. flour (whole Wheat Flour or Vital Wheat Gluten would work as well)
1 cup milk or soy milk
dash salt
dash white pepper
1 pinch nutmeg (Optional)

Preparation:
In heavy saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Stir in flour with a wire whisk. Cook over low heat for three minutes, stirring constantly (This mixture is called a roux). Do not allow the mixture to brown. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly. Cook over low heat for 3-5 more minutes until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat when the sauce is sufficiently thick – it should coat the back of a spoonSeason to taste. Makes 1 cup.

extra notes:
Once you've heated the butter and flour, add the milk very slowly, while stirring. The flour will bubble and expand; stir vigorously to keep lumps from forming. Should they form anyway, reduce the flow of milk to a trickle until you've stirred them out. Once you've added all the milk, stir the sauce slowly over a moderate flame until it thickens. Depending upon what you plan to use it for, you may wish to season it with salt and pepper to taste.

OR To avoid getting lumps, let the flour and butter form a paste that comes off the sides of the pan when you add the first bit of milk. If not, cheat and use a blender.

Healthier Version:
Replace the flour with cornflour, leave out the butter, and use semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. Mix 40g of cornflour and 500ml of milk in a bottle and shake vigorously, then thicken over a low heat.

Flavouring béchamel:
Add seasoning and flavouring to béchamel at the end of cooking so you get the quantity right.

Mornay Sauce:
Add 1/2 cup of grated Swiss, Gruyere or Emmanthal cheese after sauce thickens. Remove from heat and whisk until melted and smooth.

Onion White Sauce
Cook 1 Tbsp. minced onion in the butter until translucent. Then add the flour and continue with the recipe.

Mustard White Sauce
Whisk in 1-2 tsp. prepared mustard after the sauce is thickened.

Brown Sauce
When cooking the flour and butter mixture together, stir constantly and cook until the mixture begins to turn brown. Use stock instead of the milk.

Curry Sauce
Add 1-3 tsp. of curry powder (to taste) to the butter and simmer for 1 minute before adding the flour. Continue with the recipe as directed.

Tips:

1. To make the standard Béchamel, after adding the milk to the medium white sauce recipe add 1 small onion studded with 3 cloves, a bay leaf, and a grating of nutmeg.
2. Light stock, cream, or a combination may be used in place of the milk.
3. Add more flavor by seasoning with celery salt, nutmeg, a teaspoon of lemon juice, onion juice, or sherry, or a few tablespoons of chopped chives or parsley