Basic recipe on how to prepare béchamel. A creamy kitchen sauce that gives a boost to first, second courses, and side dishes. Here’s the recipe with tricks to make it at home!
Béchamel always reminds me of my mother, when she made it she never cleaned the saucepan well. She did it on purpose because she knew I would go crazy wanting to scrape off the béchamel from the sides of the saucepan; I always loved it, I couldn’t resist it then, and I still can’t now.
Béchamel is a sauce of French origin widely used in Italy.
The preparation is very simple, based on milk, butter, and flour, and the taste is decidedly delicate.
The base of French and Italian cuisine, as evidenced by internationally known tasty dishes like lasagna, cannelloni, savory soufflés, various flans, and pasta or vegetable gratins.
It goes well with practically everything, is very simple to prepare, and can also be seasoned and spiced in many ways since it is a velvety cream with a very neutral taste.
I have always prepared it in the most classic way.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 8/10
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Béchamel
- 4 1/4 cups milk
- 7 tbsp butter
- to taste salt
- 3/4 cup flour
- to taste nutmeg
Tools
- 2 Saucepans
- Hand Whisks
- Food Scales
Preparation of Béchamel
To prepare homemade béchamel, first heat the milk in a saucepan.
In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, being careful not to let it burn.
Lower the heat to the minimum, add the sifted flour, and stir quickly until you get a cream of hazelnut color, the so-called roux, which serves as a binding base.
Add the hot milk and stir with a whisk until you obtain a thick consistency; add the salt and a pinch of grated nutmeg.
Your béchamel is ready!
The béchamel is ready to be used in first courses such as cannelloni, timbales, and lasagna or for vegetable pies.
Bon appétit.
Tips
You can prepare your béchamel in advance and store it in an airtight container for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. If when you retrieve it, it has become too stiff for your use, just add a little milk to soften it.
The béchamel can be frozen; it is necessary to prepare it, wait for it to cool, then prepare by taking special airtight containers suitable for freezer storage.
If none are available, you can use well-sealed freezer bags. The sauce will have a maximum consumption duration of 1 month from that moment.
To use it, just take it out of the freezer a few hours before cooking and then thaw it in the refrigerator or leave it out at room temperature.
This way, the béchamel will be ready to be used however you like for your culinary creations.
This way, the béchamel will be ready to be used however you like for your culinary creations.
Notes and Curiosities
To obtain a lump-free béchamel, you must dose the butter and flour in exactly equal amounts.
I recommend using fresh whole milk for its rich and full taste.
You can also use partially skimmed milk, but it’s important that it is fresh.
If lumps form, let the béchamel cool at room temperature and pass it through a sieve.
If the béchamel is too dense, almost like a pudding, you can heat it over low heat in a saucepan and gently stir in a little milk.
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My béchamel keeps having lumps. What do I do?
Keep the heat very low and keep stirring without stopping; you’ll see that lumps won’t form. I suggest mixing well with a hand whisk. If they persist, use an immersion blender when it’s lukewarm.
Can I use long-life partially skimmed milk instead of fresh whole milk?
You can, but the result will not be the same; fresh milk will guarantee a better result.
