Bechamel Sauce - Cooking Basics

Ingredients

• 600 ml milk
• 1/4 brown onion (not chopped )
• 2 cloves
• 1 bayleaf
• 2 small thyme sprigs
• 30 g butter (unsalted or salted)
• 30 g all purpose flour
• milk from above
• nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   --- For the milk ---

2. 2

   Place all the ingredients in a pot over low heat. Leave it to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir every once in a while so the milk doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.

3. 3

   Pass the contents through a colander and keep the milk.

4. 4

   --- For the bechamel sauce ---

5. 5

   Melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour.

6. 6

   Let the mix cook for 1 minute, mixing constantly with a whisk. This mix is called "roux" (pronounced "roo") in french.

7. 7

   Remove the pot from the heat and add a drizzle of milk. Whisk together. You'll notice a dough-like mix will form at first

8. 8

   Add all the milk one drizzle at a time, mixing in between. When the mix is thin enough, add the rest of the milk in one go. Finish by adding a bit of nutmeg.

9. 9

   Return the mix to medium heat and let it come to a boil. While this happens mix constantly with your whisk.

10. 10

    From the moment it breaks into a boil, let it cook for a minute. Remove the bechamel sauce from the heat.

11. 11

    Add salt and pepper to taste.