Recipes from professional Chef Tallyrand:
BECHAMEL
SAUCE
This
week I thought I would continue to tackle the problem
of sauces, namely Bechamel Sauce.
Traditionally Bechamel Sauce was made with 200gm of
roux (this is the butter and flour which thickens the
sauce). However, this produced a very heavy and thick
Bechamel Sauce. By reducing the roux, a lighter, fresher
Bechamel Sauce is produced and is less at risk from
burning. This recipe produces such a Bechamel Sauce
that has a good coating / nappé consistency.
The
original Sauce Béchamel was a slow simmering
of milk, veal stock and seasonings, which was strained
and then enriched with cream. The sauce under its familiar
Béchamel name first appeared in Le Cuisinier
François (1651) written by François
Pierre La Varenne who was chef de cuisine to Nicolas
Chalon du Blé, the Marquis d' Uxelles. Béchamel
Sauce was named after a courtier by the name of Louis
de Béchameil who was the Marquis de Nointel,
who is sometimes mistakenly credited with having invented
it. It was in fact named after him as a form of flattery.
Ingredients
for Bechamel Sauce
| milk |
1
|
|
lt |
| butter |
60
|
|
gm |
| flour |
60
|
|
gm |
| small
peeled onion |
1
|
|
pc |
| cloves |
6
|
|
pc |
| bayleaf |
1
|
|
pc |
How
to make Bechamel
Sauce
- Make
a cut in the onion and push the bayleaf into it, also
press the cloves into the onion
- Bring
milk to blood temperature with the studded onion and
allow to infuse for 10 minutes, remove the onion and
discard
- Melt
the butter in a thick bottom pan, add flour and mix
in
- Cook
over a low heat for 5 minutes to a white roux (no
additional colour)
- Gradually
add the warmed strained milk and stir until smooth
- Allow
to simmer for 30 minutes
- Pass
the sauce through a fine strainer into a clean pan,
re-boil and correct the seasoning and consistency
- If
not needed immediately, cover with a piece of buttered
greaseproof paper (this is called a cartouche) or
a thin film of butter
- Place
in a larger saucepan 1/3 filled with water, keeping
that water at a gentle simmer (known s a bain marie)
Chef's
Tip for Bechamel
Sauce
Consistency
may be corrected by adding cream or milk to thin the
Bechamel Sauce. The Bechamel Sauce may be used as is
or changed by adding other ingredients; the name Bechamel
Sauce then changes, examples are:
| Anchovy
Sauce |
2
tbs anchovy essence or chopped anchovy fillets |
| Chive
Sauce |
4
tbs of chopped chives |
| Cream
Sauce |
150
ml fresh cream |
| Egg
Sauce |
3
- 4 hard boiled eggs pushed through a chinois |
| Mornay
Sauce |
100
gm grated cheddar |
| Mustard
Sauce |
Diluted
English mustard to taste |
| Onion
Sauce |
200
gm onion brunoise added to roux |
| Parsley
Sauce |
2
tbs of chopped parsley |
| Thermidor
Sauce |
Mornay
with 2 tbsp of mild English mustard |
Enjoy
your Bechamel Sauce and bon appetit . . . . .
Published
28 August 2000
|
