Variations on bechamel sauce
Table of Contents
The variants of bechamel sauce are numerous, and each is just as delicious as the others. They bring distinct flavors to accompany various dishes, including meats, fish, gratins, croque-monsieur, and more. The most well-known and commonly prepared at home are Mornay sauce and cheese sauce.
Although often referred to as “bechamel” because of their similar appearance, they differ in their ingredients. Both contain hard cheese such as Gruyère, Emmental or Comté. Mornay Sauce is distinguished by the addition of egg yolk.
It’s these many variations of sauces, all derived from a single base, that make bechamel sauce so popular. Bechamel sauce so famous and a must for every cook.
Preparation steps
NB: For full details of ingredients, see the recipe card at the end of this article, which you can print out. Below are the instructions, which you can also view in images.
Prepare a bechamel sauce that will serve as a base for the following sauces.
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the sifted flour all at once and mix well with a whisk to form a roux.
3. Cook for a few minutes, without letting it color, to eliminate the raw flour taste.
4. Gradually pour in the cold milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
5. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens.
6. Season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.
7. Remove from heat when the bechamel coats the back of the spoon.
Bechamel-based variations
Mornay sauce
Grated cheese and egg yolk are added to the bechamel sauce. It’s perfect for gratins, adding extra flavor and creaminess.
1. Once you’ve prepared the bechamel sauce, stir in the egg yolk, Gruyère and Parmesan until melted.
2. Adjust seasoning.
Soubise sauce
This is an onion-based bechamel sauce, often served with white meats.
1. Sweat the finely sliced onions in a pan with the 25 g (0.88 oz) of butter over low heat until they are very soft.
2. Prepare the bechamel sauce.
3. Finely blend the cooked onions into a smooth purée and add to the bechamel sauce, along with the heavy cream. Season, then bind with the 50 g (1.76 oz) of butter. Mix well.
4. To obtain a smooth texture, pass through a sieve.
Nantua sauce
This is a classic bechamel sauce to which cream and crayfish butter are added. Serve with white fish, poached eggs or rice.
Prepare the crayfish butter:
1. In a frying pan, lightly heat the crayfish carcass for a few minutes over medium heat. To release their full aroma, crush them with a pestle.
2. Stir the butter into the pan with the carcass. Melt the butter over a low heat, stirring to allow the carcass flavors to diffuse into the butter. Remove from heat, cover and leave to infuse for 2 h or more.
3. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the carcass, then filter a second time through a sieve to collect a residue-free butter.
4. Remove the quantity for the recipe and store the rest in the fridge for other recipes.
This crayfish butter is the key to the unique flavor of Nantua sauce.
5. Prepare the classic béchamel sauce, and towards the end of cooking, add 100 ml (3.4 oz) of heavy cream. Leave to bubble a few times to restore the creamy texture of the bechamel.
6. Off the heat, incorporate 100 g (3.5 oz) of crayfish butter. Mix well and adjust the seasoning.
Cheese sauce
Similar to Mornay sauce but without the addition of egg yolk. Ideal for topping vegetables, pasta, gratins, etc.
1. Prepare the bechamel sauce.
2. Add 150g (5.3 oz) of grated cheese of your choice, stirring until it melts. Adjust the seasoning.
Cardinal sauce
This is a bechamel sauce enriched with fish stock or lobster bisque. This is a simplified recipe, using store-bought lobster bisque.
1. Prepare a béchamel sauce by replacing part of the milk with fish stock, or make a regular bechamel and add 100 g (3.5 oz) of lobster butter or lobster bisque at the end. Add a bit of paprika or tomato paste to achieve a coral-colored sauce.
2. Mix well and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Aurore sauce
This is a bechamel sauce to which tomato paste is added, giving it its characteristic pinkish color. Perfect with eggs, vegetables, pasta, fish, etc. It is often confused with cocktail sauce, which is mayonnaise-based.
Prepare a bechamel sauce and add a little coulis or tomato paste. Mix well and adjust the seasoning.
Variations on Basic Bechamel Sauce
Ingredients :
For the Bechamel
- 1/2 liter milk (17.6 oz)
- 35 g butter (1.2 oz)
- 35 g flour (1.2 oz)
- Salt pepper, and grated nutmeg
For the Sauce Mornay
- Basic bechamel
- 50 g grated Gruyère (1.8 oz)
- 20 g grated Parmesan (0.7 oz)
- 1 egg yolk
- Salt pepper, and nutmeg
For the Sauce Soubise
- Basic bechamel
- 2 large onions
- 25 g butter (0.9 oz) to sweat the onions
- 50 g butter (1.8 oz) to bind the sauce
- 100 ml heavy cream (3.4 oz)
- Salt and pepper
For the Sauce Nantua
- Basic bechamel
- 100 g crayfish butter (3.5 oz)
- 100 ml heavy cream (3.4 oz)
- Salt and pepper
For the Cheese Sauce
- Basic bechamel
- 100 to 150 g grated cheese Gruyère, Comté, Cheddar, or others (3.5 to 5.3 oz)
- Salt pepper, and nutmeg
For the Sauce Cardinal
- Basic bechamel
- 100 ml fish stock optional, replace 100 ml of milk in the béchamel (3.4 oz)
- 100 g lobster butter or store-bought lobster bisque (3.5 oz)
- Salt pepper, paprika
For the Sauce Aurore
- Basic bechamel
- 100 g tomato coulis 3.5 oz or 1 to 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Salt and pepper
Instructions :
Bechamel sauce
- Prepare a bechamel sauce that will serve as a base for the following sauces.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the sifted flour all at once and mix well with a whisk to form a roux.
- Cook for a few minutes, without letting it color, to eliminate the raw flour taste.
- Gradually pour in the cold milk, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
- Continue stirring until the sauce thickens.
- Season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.
- Remove from heat when the bechamel coats the back of the spoon.
Mornay sauce
- Grated cheese and egg yolk are added to the bechamel sauce. It's perfect for gratins, adding extra flavor and creaminess.
- Once you've prepared the bechamel sauce, stir in the egg yolk, Gruyère and Parmesan until melted.
- Adjust seasoning.
Soubise sauce
- This is an onion-based bechamel sauce, often served with white meats.
- Sweat the finely sliced onions in a pan with the 25 g (0.88 oz) of butter over low heat until they are very soft.
- Prepare the bechamel sauce.
- Finely blend the cooked onions into a smooth purée and add to the bechamel sauce, along with the heavy cream. Season, then bind with the 50 g (1.76 oz) of butter. Mix well.
- To obtain a smooth texture, pass through a sieve.
Nantua sauce
- Prepare the crayfish butter:
- In a frying pan, lightly heat the crayfish carcass for a few minutes over medium heat. To release their full aroma, crush them with a pestle.
- Stir the butter into the pan with the carcass. Melt the butter over a low heat, stirring to allow the carcass flavors to diffuse into the butter. Remove from heat, cover and leave to infuse for 2 h or more.
- Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the carcass, then filter a second time through a sieve to collect a residue-free butter.
- Remove the quantity for the recipe and store the rest in the fridge for other recipes.
- This crayfish butter is the key to the unique flavor of Nantua sauce.
- Prepare the classic béchamel sauce, and towards the end of cooking, add 100 ml (3.4 oz) of heavy cream. Leave to bubble a few times to restore the creamy texture of the bechamel.
- Off the heat, incorporate 100 g (3.5 oz) of crayfish butter. Mix well and adjust the seasoning.
Cheese sauce
- Similar to Mornay sauce but without the addition of egg yolk. Ideal for topping vegetables, pasta, gratins, etc.
- Prepare the bechamel sauce.
- Add 150g (5.3 oz) of grated cheese of your choice, stirring until it melts. Adjust the seasoning.
Cardinal sauce
- This is a bechamel sauce enriched with fish stock or lobster bisque. This is a simplified recipe, using store-bought lobster bisque.
- Prepare a béchamel sauce by replacing part of the milk with fish stock, or make a regular bechamel and add 100 g (3.5 oz) of lobster butter or lobster bisque at the end. Add a bit of paprika or tomato paste to achieve a coral-colored sauce.
- Mix well and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Aurore sauce
- This is a bechamel sauce to which tomato paste is added, giving it its characteristic pinkish color. Perfect with eggs, vegetables, pasta, fish, etc. It is often confused with cocktail sauce, which is mayonnaise-based.
- Prepare a bechamel sauce and add a little coulis or tomato paste. Mix well and adjust the seasoning.
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