Page 7 - ClubLife Weekly 072222

CHEF'S CORNER

B E C H A M E L

Ingredients

*yields 1 pint

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Notes
2. Once the butter stops bubbling whisk in the four to form a paste.
3. Continue to cook, stirring, until raw flour scent is gone, about 1 In classical French cooking
minute. there are a number of sauces
referred to as mother sauces.
4. Whisking constantly, add milk in a thin, steady stream, whisking
That is because they are the
thoroughly and getting into all corners of the pan to maintain a
origin for many other sauces.
smooth texture. Bechamel is a simple
5. Sauce will initially become very thick, then get very thin once all marriage of flour, butter, milk
the milk is added. and other aromatics. The
6. Heat, stirring, until sauce comes to a simmer and begins to ratios used of those
ingredients determine the
thicken slightly.
final use of the bechamel.
7. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, until sauce is thick Bechamel can
enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 3- 5 be a sauce, think of sausage
minutes. gravy. Or think of a croquette
8. Remove from the heat and cool or use it in another recipe. that is comprised of a thick
and chilled bechamel. This
9. Once cooled, the sauce can be stored for several days under
simple recipe is a framework
refrigeration.
that can lead to hundreds of
other recipes. From Macaroni
Executive Chef ratio of 1 ½ tablespoons each
and Cheese to Lasagna. A

Harold Ramos of flour and butter per cup of
milk makes a thickened yet
still pourable sauce, great for
all sorts of recipes.