This is another standard or leading sauce used in ‘continental’ cooking! It’s my favorite and there are many variations to make small sauces including flavorings.



Yield 1L
INGREDIENTS
60g Flour
60g Clarified Butter
1L Milk
1 Bay Leaf, small
1 Onion, small
1 Clove, whole
Salt, Nutmeg and White Pepper to taste

PROCEDURE
1. First lets make the roux. (A roux must be cooked so the finished sauce does not have the raw, starchy taste of flour. The three kinds of roux differ in how much they are cooked. White roux is cooked for just a few minutes, just enough to cook out the raw taste. Cooking is stopped as soon as the roux has a frothy, chalky, slightly gritty appearance, before it has begun to color.)
2. Add the butter to a heavy saucepan with the flour and stir for a few minutes until the smell and taste of the raw flour has gone.
3. Gradually add the milk constantly mixing with a wire whip. Milk should be at room temperature or preferably scalded.
4. Bring the sauce to a boil, constantly stirring, remove lumps if any. Reduce heat to a simmer.
5. Stick the bay leaf to the onion with clove and add to sauce. Simmer at least 15 minutes or, if possible, 30 minutes or more. Stir occasionally while cooking.
6. Adjust consistency with more hot milk, if necessary.
7. Season very lightly with salt, nutmeg, and white pepper. Spice flavors should never dominate the sauce.
8. Strain the sauce through a sieve or china cap lined with cheesecloth. Cover or spread melted butter on surface to prevent skin formation. Keep hot in a bain-marie, or refrigerate for later use.

VARIATIONS
1. While making the roux add 1tbsp of finely chopped onion OR 1tsp of finely chopped garlic.
2. For a light béchamel, use 40g of flour and butter each to make the roux, for heavier béchamel use 90g of flour and butter.
3. Cream Sauce – Add 100ml of heavy cream, heated or tempered.
4. Mornay Sauce – 50g of Gruyere Cheese & 20g of Parmesan, stir in until melted, thin out with hot milk if necessary.
5. Cheddar Cheese Sauce – 100g Cheddar Cheese, 1/4 tsp of mustard Powder, few drops of Worcestershire Sauce, stir in until cheese has melted.
6. Spicy Béchamel Sauce – 1/2 tsp of mixed Italian herbs, few drops of spicy Tabasco sauce.