Béchamel Sauce

I decided to start off with something that is a culinary basic.  Basic that is, for those who have made it before.  As I have previously stated, I am very lazy and impatient. So something that involves low heats and constant stirring, I usually steer clear of.  I decided however to brave it in an attempt to make this basic sauce.

Béchamel Sauce, or white sauce is the base for a lot of French and Italian classics.  It is usually the starting point for things like cheese sauces, creme sauce and mustard sauce. Many delicious dishes such as; Lasagne, Moussaka and Croque Monsieur incorporate the sauce.

I used this Mario Batali recipe for my jumping off point: Mario Batali's Bechamel Sauce

There were only two of us who would be consuming this concoction, so I decided to half the recipe. That way if I REALLY messed it up, I wouldn't be wasting too much. I also didn't have any nutmeg at home, so I substituted the nutmeg for paprika and mustard powder.

Ingredients and Materials:

- 2 Saucepans (1 medium and 1 small)

- Whisk

- 2.5 Tbsp of butter (I chose unsalted because you will be adding more salt)

- 2 Tbsp of flour

- 1 Tsp of salt (I substituted for No Salt)

- 2 cups of milk (I used 2%)

- 1/8 Tsp of paprika

- 1/8 Tsp of mustard powder

Directions:

1. In the medium sauce pan, heat the butter over medium- low until it is completely melted (This is where you need to know your stove.  Mine is much hotter than the number dials indicate.  Where medium low on most people's stoves would register as like 3-4.  I had to put mine at 2...). Add the flour and keep whisking it until it is smooth. 

2. Continue cooking the mixture for 6 or 7 minutes until the mixture starts to turn a golden sandy colour. This step is making a roux, or the thing that will thicken your sauce!

3. While you are letting the roux do it's thing, take your milk and put it in the smaller saucepan.  Turn it up to medium-low and let it warm up.  You don't want it to boil, just be warm.

4. Once you have that nice sandy colour, add your warm milk one cup at a time. Whisk constantly to incorporate the milk and the roux between each addition of milk.

5. Continue whisking until smooth.

6. Bring the sauce to a boil and continue cooking for 10 minutes.  Stir constantly until your sauce thickens.

7. After 10 minutes, remove your sauce from the heat.  At that this point, add your salt and other spices.

8. Incorporate your spices and then use your sauce! (Or add more things to make a completely different sauce!)

One thing I will say, is that I do believe my pot was too hot.  I barely had the sauce cooking for 5 minutes before I had to pull it off.  It was getting thick really fast. Other than that, I somehow managed to pull it off!

So what did I use my béchamel sauce for?  I put it on top of these lovely ham and gouda croissant sandwiches.

In that picture you can really see how thick the sauce got.  I will say that I kept the remaining sauce in the fridge.  The next day, I put it back in a pot, with milk and some cheddar cheese.  I whisked it all together and added it to some pasta.  The consistency was much better and not near as thick.

Going back to the title of the blog, and after careful observation, I would say that in this case the cat was alive.  I will definitely try this again.