BECHAMEL

The real origins of the béchamel are not yet very clear. There is a continuous dispute between Italian and French cuisine, which vie for exclusivity.

According to French culture, the inventor was the Marquis Louis de Bechamel, from whom he should have inherited the name. In the seventeenth century he was the first to use béchamel in his recipes.

According to Italian culture, however, the origin of the bechamel recipe is Tuscan. In Italy it was called glue sauce, precisely because of its use in the kitchen as a binder for many other preparations; according to Italian culture, this sauce arrived in France thanks to the queen consort Caterina de Medici.

The first appearance of the sauce à la béchamel in French texts dates back to 1651 in the recipe book “Le cusinier”, a text considered the foundation of French cuisine.

Bechamel is a savory base sauce, prepared with butter, flour and milk: white, creamy, enveloping, with a neutral and delicate taste; it has become part of the Italian culinary tradition for a very long time now; where it is also called mother sauce, precisely because many other sauces are prepared with Bechamel as well as giving an edge to many dishes: from  Baked Pasta , to Lasagne , from Cannelloni to Crepes and Crespelle , to Vegetables au gratin.

The rules for bechamel are very simple, 10/10/100, i.e.: for every 10 grams of butter, 10 grams of flour, and 100ml. of milk or broth.

The amount of flour used can vary depending on whether you want to obtain a more or less liquid sauce: the more flour you use, the more consistent it will be and vice versa.

For a vegan and light and dairy-free Béchamel you can replace milk with vegetable broth and butter with oil.

INGREDIENTS:

500ml.  Whole, skimmed or vegetable milk (or vegetable broth).
50 g. Butter (or 50 g of extra virgin olive oil).
50 g. 00 Flour.
Nutmeg
Salt

PREPARATION:

First of all, melt the flour and butter over a very low heat ①, stirring with a hand whisk or a wooden spoon, cook for 3 – 5 minutes so that the flour has absorbed the butter well and is toasted ②. Add the nutmeg and mix everything. Slowly add the milk ③, very little at a time, only when the first quantity is incorporated add the second and continue to whisk by hand clockwise.

If you see lumps in the béchamel, you can use an immersion blender for 10 – 20 seconds to make the cream smooth and free of lumps.

A few seconds and you will find a cream of this consistency. Stir constantly ④ over medium –heat until the sauce has reached a velvety consistency ⑤(3 – 5 minutes) finally add salt.

The consistency can vary according to taste and the need of the moment.

If the sauce is too liquid, add a knob of floured butter to it and put it back on the heat for a few minutes

If you need a rather thick sauce, just leave it on the heat for more and keep stirring with the whisk by hand until you get the desired consistency. If you want a rather “soft” sauce, just add a few tablespoons of milk to the mixture.

Once you have reached the desired consistency ⑥, if you don’t use it right away, cover the béchamel with a plastic food wrap to prevent the formation of skin on the surface.

Your Béchamel is ready to be used.