Quick and Easy French Bechamel Sauce (Smooth & Lump-Free)
Easy béchamel sauce recipe for a creamy, smooth, lump-free French white sauce. Made with just 3 basic ingredients, it’s ready in minutes and perfect for lasagna, gratins, croque-monsieur, and more.
IMPRIMER
ÉPINGLER
ENREGISTRER
INGRÉDIENTS
- 1/2 liter milk
- 40 g butter
- 40 g flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- A pinch of grated nutmeg optional
PRÉPARATION
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the sifted flour and whisk with a regular whisk or coil whisk until you have a smooth roux (the mixture of butter and flour). Do not let it brown.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and gradually add a little cold milk, whisking well to smooth the mixture.
- Note: If you still have lumps, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve before adding the remaining milk.
- Return the saucepan to the heat and gradually add the remaining milk, stirring constantly.
- Continue cooking, stirring well and scraping the bottom and sides of the saucepan to prevent the sauce from sticking or burning.
- Season with salt, a pinch of pepper, and grated nutmeg.
- The béchamel will gradually thicken. Remove it from the heat when it coats the back of a spoon.
- Use it immediately, or cover the surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use to prevent a skin from forming.
You can remove it from the heat earlier for a thinner consistency, or cook it a little longer if you need a thicker sauce, depending on how you plan to use it. For a thinner consistency, you can also add a little more milk. Keep in mind that the béchamel will continue to thicken as it cools.