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Bechamel sauce - a classic homemade Bechamel sauce recipe. Bechamel sauce: learn the classic recipe for the legendary Italian dressing Bechamel sauce recipes

You've probably heard about the five basic sauces of French cuisine? They are also called “mother” sauces or “great” sauces. They form the basis of the culinary tradition of France, they can be found in a huge number of recipes, and the large-scale and world-famous “edifice” of French cuisine is built on them.

Perhaps, standing on a par with veloute, espagnole, hollandaise and tomato sauces, bechamel is still half a step ahead - maybe because it is more famous? Or because it is especially delicate and versatile and goes well with a huge number of dishes? Or is the secret of its popularity in the special aura that is created around the Bechamel sauce - an aura of sophistication and elegance? Be that as it may, this particular recipe is the main one of the five parts that form the “backbone” of French cooking.

Knowing how to cook bechamel is practically a rule of good manners. Agree, you can’t show up in the kitchen, declare yourself a guru and start impressing guests without first learning the basics and theory. So, in order to become a chef, among other exams, you will have to pass a test specifically on the ability to cook the right bechamel - this is that undeniable and necessary basis. Let's figure it out.

Conventionally, Bechamel sauce can be divided into two parts: rublon or roux (French roux - red) and milk (cream).

Rublon is flour mixed with butter, fried until lightly golden. The standard proportion is 1:1, although some chefs sometimes change it depending on their own preferences.

The amount of milk added to the sauce can also vary significantly in different versions. Depending on the thickness of the sauce you need, you will need a little more or a little less liquid. The general rule is this: for liquid bechamel sauce add 120-180 g of roux per 1 liter of milk, for thick sauce - 300 g of roux per 1 liter of milk (thick, “like paste”, bechamel is the basis, for example, of soufflé). It’s easy to remember this ratio (for a sauce of medium thickness): parts of roux = 1 to 1, milk = 5 times the sum of the parts of roux. So, if you take 50 g of butter and flour, then pour in 500 ml of milk.

The basic, classic bechamel sauce is minimalistic - it's milk, flour, butter, salt and pepper. This sauce is the basis for the preparation of other sauces or part of dishes - lasagna, moussaka, dishes with spinach, complex pastas. But most often, milk for making Bechamel sauce is pre-flavored - with herbs, roots, spices. The goal is to give neutral dishes a more expressive taste, such as baked fish or a slice of chicken fillet. To do this, add the required set of natural flavors to cold milk (nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, thyme, dill, onion, garlic, coriander, caraway, parsnip or parsley root), and then slowly bring to a boil - it is believed that only This is how the aromas of herbs and roots are revealed best. After boiling, turn off the fire, cover the pan with a lid and leave for 2-3 hours to infuse. After the specified time, the milk must be strained through cheesecloth or a fine sieve and only then used to prepare the sauce.

From the history of sauce

In general, the story is as simple as the world: they say that the famous sauce was invented by Louis Bechamel, the majordomo of Louis XIV, the king who ensured the flourishing of an absolute monarchy for his country. Alas, there is no intrigue, interesting turns of events or secret intricacies, despite the fact that the era itself was characterized by an abundance of mysteries and secrets. However, there is one “zest” in the loud but short epic called “Béchamel”: historians strongly doubt that the invention of the recipe belongs personally to the king’s manager, the eponymous Mr. Béchamel. Most likely, the sauce was first prepared by one of the court chefs, but the cunning majordomo, sensing how he could earn the favor of the king, quickly attributed the invention to his own person.

The famous “white sauce” was first mentioned in Le Cuisinier François in 1651 - the book was written by the court cook of Louis XIV, François Pierre de La Farenne, and it was he who left a written indication of the newfangled sauce. After this, the culinary manual was republished many, many dozens of times (only in the next 75 years - at least 30 times!), The popularity of the sauce continued to grow.

There was no exact recipe in the book, however, there is reason to assert that bechamel has survived to this day practically unchanged: the same wheat flour, the same high-quality butter, the same milk.

Classic recipe for Bechamel sauce

To start experimenting and creating, you need to learn how to implement a basic sauce recipe. In fact, there is nothing complicated, a little practice - and you will succeed!

Ingredients:
50 g butter;
50 g flour;
500 ml milk with 2.5% fat content;
salt, ground white pepper.

Melt the butter over low heat. Make sure that the oil is not fried, otherwise the sauce will not be white, but yellow or brown.

Add flour to the melted butter and begin to quickly rub it into the butter with a wooden spatula and whisk. It will take you 1-2 minutes to combine the flour and butter - during this time the mixture will foam slightly.

In a thin stream and in small portions (literally a spoon or two), start adding cold (!) milk, each time stirring and beating the sauce until smooth. The fire is as low as possible, or remove the pan from the stove altogether. Enter a smaller portion of milk - 100-150 grams. When it becomes clear that there are no lumps in the sauce, add the remaining milk, increase the heat to medium, bring to a boil and cook the sauce over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Don't forget to stir constantly!

Season the finished sauce with salt and pepper.

The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days, covered with oiled film.

White sauce with nutmeg

This sauce - with spices - is known even better than the classic version. The principle of preparation and the proportions of ingredients are the same, only more milk may be used since we will cook it. What spices are used most often? Nutmeg, as well as bay leaf, cloves, ground peppers. You can add a small onion and other spices and herbs, or you can get by with just nutmeg.

Ingredients:
50 g butter;
50 g flour;
600 g milk;
salt, nutmeg, spices and herbs to taste.

Prepare the roux as described above. Let it cool.

Grind the herbs and spices in a mortar, place in a cloth bag and place in cold milk. Bring to a boil, then cook for 10-15 minutes. Discard the spice bag (if you didn't have one, be sure to strain the milk through a sieve). Add hot milk to 500 ml if it has boiled down too much.

Place cold roux into hot milk. Stir. If the milk has cooled down, put it on the stove, but do not bring it to a boil - we need hot milk, as it is before it boils.

Whisk the roux until the sauce is smooth.

Watch this wonderful video of Gordon Ramsay making bechamel sauce with cheese in his inimitable style. It is not necessary to understand English, you can even turn off the sound - you will understand everything without it.

Vegan bechamel

If for some reason you cannot temporarily or permanently eat animal products (diet, fasting, vegetarianism), no problem: you can make Bechamel sauce without milk! Read carefully, it's very tasty.

Ingredients:
200 g cashew nuts;
350 ml water;
60 g flour;
2 tbsp. l. olive oil;
salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste.

Pour boiling water over raw cashews and leave for 4-5 minutes, then pour out the water, place the nuts in a blender bowl and fill with clean water again - this time cold, add 300 ml. Turn on the blender, bring the mixture until completely smooth, gradually pour in the remaining 50 ml of water, and if necessary, dilute the resulting nut milk with a little more liquid.

Mix flour with olive oil and lightly fry in a saucepan. Pour in the nut milk in a thin stream with constant stirring, stir until completely smooth. Cook over low heat until thickened. Finally add salt, pepper and nutmeg. If necessary, the resulting sauce can be strained through a fine sieve.

Tomato sauce "Béchamel"

A very non-standard combination, a kind of anti-white sauce, but still it is bechamel, albeit not in the usual “clothing”. Try it by all means! The sauce is perfect for pasta, sandwiches, and baked potatoes.

Ingredients:
50 g butter;
50 g flour;
500 ml milk;
1 tbsp. l. tomato puree;
salt, pepper to taste.

Grind the butter with flour, place the mixture in a frying pan with a thick bottom or in a saucepan and, stirring, lightly fry until light golden brown (for details, see above, in the basic recipe). Pour in milk in a thin stream, literally 50 ml at a time. After each “dose”, knead the flour mixture until completely homogeneous. Gradually add all the milk. At the end, add salt, pepper, spices and tomato puree. Stir, the sauce is ready.

How to cook Bechamel in the microwave

Of course, this recipe is far from a classic - it can’t even be called canonical. However, it can be a great help for those who want to cook, but prefer to do it with minimal time and effort.

Ingredients:
50 g flour;
50 g butter;
600 ml milk;
salt, nutmeg and other spices to taste.

Grind the melted butter with flour, place the bowl in the microwave for 1.5 minutes at maximum power.

Take it out and pour in all the milk in a thin stream, stirring constantly. A homogeneous mass is needed. Return the bowl back to the microwave for 4.5-5 minutes, maximum power. Periodically pause the cooking process and stir the contents of the bowl. At the end, add salt and nutmeg, mix well and strain through a fine sieve.

If you need a thicker sauce, increase the cooking time to 6 minutes.

Use the right cookware - a thick, non-stick pan with one handle. Grind and stir with a wooden spatula and a convenient whisk.

The main secret to a homogeneous, smooth, lump-free bechamel is the temperature of the sauce parts. Their contrasting, diametrically opposed temperatures: if the roux is hot, cold milk should be poured in, and vice versa: hot milk should interact with the cold roux. It is acceptable if both are warm, other options other than those listed are a recipe for disappointment. But if, nevertheless, the sauce turns out to be lumpy and completely unsuitable for consumption, pick up a blender and run it thoroughly through the resulting mass.

Cooking time for the sauce after boiling is 5-7 minutes. In textbooks on French cooking you will find the following recommendation: “Cook the sauce for no more than 10 and no less than 40 minutes, since in 10 minutes the taste of raw flour will not have time to develop, and in 40-60 minutes the sauce will lose the taste of raw flour.” This is a scientifically proven fact. Classic bechamel is cooked according to all the rules for about an hour. Briefly, quickly, in less than 10 minutes, prepare bechamel at home.

Don't over-fry the flour - it should just be slightly golden, creamy and have a subtle nutty smell. If the flour darkens thoroughly, the sauce will be bitter, and it will also lose its color - after all, you are preparing a white sauce. The color of the sauce is delicately light beige, light cream, without pronounced brown or yellow notes.

Do not try to speed up what should a priori be cooked slowly. The heat under the frying pan should be minimal; it will only become medium at the final stage, when you pour all the milk into the pan. Burnt sauce is not the best alternative to saving time.

The classic component of Bechamel sauce is milk. Sour cream and other fermented milk “comrades” will inevitably curdle, this is not an option. However, you can take the cream, but it should be borne in mind that the cream are also not the simplest guys, they can also play tricks with their ears and curl up at the most inopportune moment. For this reason, many cooks dilute them with broth - vegetable or meat.

Bechamel is beautiful with its viscous, delicate consistency and creamy aftertaste. No one forbids the use of spices when preparing it, however, keep in mind that the creamy aroma must remain the leading one, everything else should stand modestly on the sidelines and only highlight the main idea of the sauce.

The sauce can be made liquid, or it can be very thick - it depends on your further goals. The “correct” consistency of a universal homemade bechamel will allow the mass to flow evenly from the spoon, slightly enveloping it with residue. Under no circumstances should the finished product fall into a thick lump, nor should it rapidly flop down into a liquid, indistinct something. If the sauce is too thick, dilute it with milk and then heat it up. Thicken any roux that is too thin with a roux specially prepared for this purpose, and then simmer for another minute.

If you serve bechamel to the table as an accompaniment to certain prepared dishes (and do not use it as a component of a recipe), it must be served hot - as it cools, the sauce will become crusty, which is completely unacceptable. Therefore, serve warm and use immediately. Well, or almost urgently.

If you make too much sauce, the leftovers can be safely stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure to cover thoroughly with cling film or pour the sauce into an airtight container.

What to use Bechamel sauce with? 10 available ideas:

Lasagna. Classic. Of course, there are recipes for making lasagna without bechamel sauce, but still the main and most popular recipe involves its use; many seriously believe that lasagna without bechamel is like borscht without beets.

Paste. Bechamel is one of the most popular sauces served with spaghetti, penne, tagliatelle and other pasta. The creamy aroma and enveloping structure turn any pasta into an almost masterpiece.

Mushroom béchamel sauce

Casseroles, tarts and pies. If the filling that you planned to put in the pie seems a little dry to you, a little bechamel will not only save the situation - it will transform it to incredible results! Boiled fish, fried minced meat, unleavened vegetables - everything will be wonderful and tasty in the company of this sauce.

Pancakes. If you mix mushrooms, fried onions, boiled chicken fillet, a little grated cheese and bechamel, you can make an amazing pancake filling. Form them into “bags”, tie them with a feather of green onion - you have a delicious snack ready.

Baked fish. Place any neutral-tasting fish (sturgeon, pike perch, cod, hake, pangasius) in a baking dish, pour Bechamel sauce mixed with lightly fried mushrooms and cheese over it, bake until cooked. Simple, elegant, delicious.

Oven-baked or steamed vegetables - cauliflower, potatoes, celery root, broccoli, pumpkin and others.“Béchamel” will give discreet-tasting and often rather bland vegetables an interesting flavor note. A little grated Parmesan - and an incredibly healthy, tasty and aromatic dinner is ready.

Asparagus. Classics of the genre. Asparagus and bechamel are made for each other! The taste is refined, delicate, very delicate and “clean”.

Eggs. Cooked in the oven with Bechamel sauce, they will become a real feast of taste! Add some sautéed spinach to the ramekins and get the famous Eggs Florentine.

Sandwiches. Down with harmful mayonnaise, try seasoning the components of sandwiches and burgers with classic “white” sauce. By the way, this is an excellent reason to learn how to cook Croque Monsieur - this sandwich is impossible without the famous bechamel.

Julienne. Yes, yes, season the chicken, mushrooms and cheese with the classic Bechamel sauce and get a delicious dish in its perfection.

Today, it is no longer so important who was the first to come up with the idea of preparing a milk sauce based on flour and butter, it does not matter what spices can be added to the milk and what proportion to choose in order to make the ideal Bechamel sauce from the point of view of a particular person. Another thing is important: based on the classic recipe, cooks tirelessly come up with new and new recipes. Who knows, maybe very soon we will hear something unusual from you? Dare and do not be afraid, many wonderful discoveries were made by amateurs.

French Bechamel sauce (French for “white sauce”) is a classic of European cuisine. This is the base sauce, on the basis of which soufflé, lasagna and other sauces are subsequently prepared. The main ingredients are milk, flour, fat. Bechamel sauce is very easy to make at home.

This recipe is a base that you can experiment with by adding different ingredients.

So, what do we need to prepare the classic version?

butter – 50 g;
vegetable oil (preferably sunflower) – 2 tbsp. spoons;
wheat flour – 2 tbsp. spoons;
milk of any fat content – 0.75 l;
a little salt.

How to make Bechamel sauce?

Below are step-by-step instructions. Follow it exactly and you will get a real French sauce.

Melt two types of butter in a saucepan or ladle and stir.
Begin to gradually stir flour into the saucepan with butter, avoiding lumps.
Add milk a little at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil.
Then add a little salt and cook over low heat, stirring constantly.
The cooking process will take up to 10 minutes.

Depending on the consistency you want the sauce, the cooking time will also depend. If liquid is required, add a little more milk. If it is thick, evaporate until desired. Bechamel can be served immediately. Keep refrigerated.

Lasagna sauce recipe

This sauce is very often used for baking. Lasagna is a dish that cannot be imagined without white French sauce. Housewives usually choose the classic recipe for Bechamel sauce for lasagna to get “French notes” of flavor in the dish.

Grocery list:

premium flour - a tablespoon;
chicken egg yolk – 2 pcs.;
capers up to 10 pcs.;
butter or spread – 50 g;
broth (if you want to reduce the calorie content of the dish, use vegetable broth) – 280 ml;
a little salt and pepper.

How to cook?

Fry the butter and flour a little in a saucepan.
Pour the broth into the butter-flour mixture and simmer until the sauce thickens.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Just before the end of cooking, add chicken yolks, stir and heat over low heat for another 2 minutes.
For piquancy, add chopped capers to the prepared sauce. It is this additive that will reveal the taste of vegetable lasagna.

Those who don’t really like capers replace them with pickles.

Muscat Bechamel sauce

Nutmeg adds spicy notes to the sauce, which will appeal to connoisseurs of original combinations and bright flavors.

So, what do you need to prepare a spicy sauce?

flour 65 g (1/4 cup);
butter 4 tbsp;
half a liter of milk;
a little salt;
a pinch of white pepper;
also a pinch of ground nutmeg.

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Pour flour into a container with butter and stir with a wooden spoon until the flour begins to change color. This is no more than 2 minutes in time.
Add the milk a little at a time, stirring the lumps. Stir constantly until the mixture becomes homogeneous.
Stir the sauce all the time over low heat. Once it starts to thicken, add the nutmeg and remaining spices.

The flavorful sauce is ready!

Bechamel meat sauce recipe

This type of sauce is used to prepare meat pasta or cannelloni.

What products should I take?

a mixture of minced pork and beef (optional, but this type of minced meat is preferable) - 70 g;
flour - 2 tablespoons;
milk – 300 ml;
regular onion - ¼ head;
butter – 30 g;
parsley and celery root (chopped).

Recipe step by step:

In a saucepan or other non-stick container, combine milk and onion (do not cut).
Boil over low heat for 15 minutes and remove the onion from the milk.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a separate container and add flour to it.
Heat over low heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the flour is golden brown.
After cooling, add milk to the flour and butter mixture.
Put on fire, stir constantly and cook for up to 10 minutes. Do not bring it to a boil.
Once the sauce becomes thick, strain it through a strainer and add spices.
Separately, saute the minced meat and parsley roots with celery in a frying pan.
Add the meat to the main sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes.

After preparing the sauce, you can immediately season the main dish.

Sauce with added cheese

Ingredients:

milk – 1 glass;
flour (preferably wheat) – 1.5 tbsp;
regular onion – 1 small;
oil – 30 g;
broth (vegetable or meat) – 0.5 tbsp.;
grated cheese – 3 tbsp;
spices to choose from.

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan, add flour and fry until golden brown.
Add chopped onion, fry a little more and start pouring in milk. Let it boil and let cool a little.
Rub the resulting mixture through a sieve.
Pour the pre-prepared broth into the grated mixture. If you don’t have any broth at home, you can add milk or just water. Boil.
After boiling, add hard cheese and mix thoroughly.
Cook until the desired consistency and the cheese is completely dissolved.
After that, add your favorite spices, cook for no more than 10 minutes, and let the sauce brew.

This sauce is suitable as a dressing for meat or for roasting vegetables.

flour - as much as butter;

2 yolks;

a glass of broth (water);

a little salt, ¼ teaspoon.

Cooking method:

Peel the mushrooms, wash and cut into small pieces.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and add flour to it. Fry until golden brown. This will take 1-2 minutes. Stir constantly!
Keeping the mixture over medium heat, begin adding 1.5 cups of milk, stirring constantly until the lumps dissolve.
Stir the yolks in the remaining milk and pour into the main mixture.
Then add the broth and the remaining 0.5 cups of milk to the sauce.
Cook over low heat until boiling, stirring constantly.
When the sauce reaches the desired consistency, add the mushrooms and simmer for another 15 minutes.
At the end, add a spoonful of butter and the sauce is ready!

Dishes using bechamel acquire a delicate taste. This sauce is considered basic in French cuisine. It is prepared from just three ingredients: flour, butter and milk. You can cook a sauce of the correct consistency at home, if you take into account some tricks in its preparation. After all, even the classic recipe has several variations.

Basics of making béchamel sauce

The base for the sauce is Rublon, which is often called simply “Roux” by chefs. This is a mixture of butter and flour, brought to a straw color. Then a liquid component is added to it. In the original recipe it is cream, but you can use full-fat milk.
Some cooks add broth along with the dairy ingredients. It is not recommended to replace them with fermented milk products, otherwise they will curdle at high temperatures and the sauce will be lumpy.
You cannot break the most important rule for preparing sauce, in which flour and butter are used in equal proportions. You can add different amounts of liquid, thereby changing the thickness of the bechamel.
For a light aroma of the sauce, you need to add milk. In this method, seasonings are added to a cold liquid, then heated at low temperature, and infused for about 30 minutes. In order not to strain the sauce, the herbs and spices must first be wrapped in cheesecloth and the milk should be boiled with it.
Bechamel should have a light creamy color and light consistency. You can check it with a spoon. If the mixture drips off slowly, the sauce is cooked correctly.

Bechamel sauce - classic recipe

The traditional sauce recipe involves the use of only 3 ingredients and a certain cooking technology. Only if you follow the recipe, bechamel will turn out to be the required consistency with a delicate taste.

For 4 servings of sauce you will need:

butter – 2 tbsp;
wheat flour – 2 tbsp;
milk with 2.5% fat content - 1 tbsp.

Recipe:

Step 1. First, strictly measure all the necessary products. If you need a large portion of the sauce, then adhere to the specified proportions. Be sure to sift the flour before adding to the butter.

Step 2. Place a piece of butter in a saucepan, which is then placed over very low heat.

Step 3. Continue melting the butter until it becomes translucent.

Step 4. Start adding flour in small portions. At the same time, gradually stir the mixture. Never change the equal proportions of using flour and butter, no matter how thick you are preparing the sauce.

Step 5. After adding all the flour, cook the mixture until golden brown. At this stage, it is important not to overcook the Rublon, otherwise it will burn, which will ruin the sauce.

Step 6. Heat the milk and add it to the mixture, but only 2-3 tablespoons at first.

Step 7 Mix the sauce thoroughly until a homogeneous consistency is formed.

Step 8 Then pour in 2 more tablespoons of milk and stir the mixture again. However, do not increase the heat on the stove.

Step 9 The third time you add milk, you must adjust the thickness of the sauce, so add it 1 tablespoon at a time. After each new portion of liquid, stir the sauce thoroughly and, if necessary, add more milk.

Advice. This gradual pouring of milk will prevent lumps from forming, and the bechamel will acquire a uniform consistency.

Step 10 When bubbles appear on the surface, remove the sauce from the heat and add the crushed spices.

You can also add herbs and other ingredients if you wish. Traditionally, nutmeg is added to the sauce.

Step 11 Stir the sauce again, let it cool slightly and pour into a separate container.

Bechamel can be served separately with meat or mixed with other prepared foods in a dish.

Secrets of making bechamel sauce

It is necessary to use only warm liquid, which is added in small portions to the oil. If this is not done, then the flour will lag behind and rise, which will lead to the formation of lumps and uneven sauce.
To prevent the bechamel from becoming bitter to taste, the flour must be brought to a straw color in a frying pan. Stir it all the time, otherwise the mixture will burn on the bottom.
Use only a wooden spoon or spatula for stirring. Metal objects can lift a burnt layer from the bottom of the pan, which will mix with the bulk of the sauce.
Do not add spices to hot mixture. They will be able to open fully only with gradual heating, so it is best to use them in cold milk.
If you add vegetables and especially onions to bechamel, then they must first be sautéed. This will give the sauce a richer taste. But this should not be done if you plan to serve the sauce with fish.
The readiness of bechamel can be determined by the bubbles that appear on its surface. At this point, it must be immediately removed from the stove.
To prevent the sauce from burning, cook it only over low heat or in a steam bath. At the same time, do not forget to stir it constantly.
Bechamel is served only warm, otherwise a film will form on it. If you have any sauce left, then before using it again you need to heat the milk, add it to the mixture and heat it over low heat.
The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. To prevent a crust from forming on the surface, pour a little melted butter on top.
Liquid bechamel should not be covered with flour. It's best to keep it on the stove a little longer and stir until it thickens.
To make it easier to add milk in a thin stream, use a small container with a spout to heat it.

As you can see, preparing bechamel at home is very simple if you follow the recipe and cooking technology. Bon appetit!

Bechamel sauce is a classic recipe at home and is mainly used for lasagna. Many people know that the classic Bechamel sauce from a simple recipe remains one of the most popular sauces for serving not only with lasagna, but also with various meat dishes, fish, veal, shrimp, squid, potatoes, manta rays, vegetable dishes, spaghetti and many others.

If for an ordinary housewife Bechamel is something refined and sublime, then in the world of professional chefs it is a necessary base. The ability to prepare this light white sauce is a kind of passport to the world of haute cuisine. The priority is to learn how to cook it so that you won’t be ashamed to serve this exquisite sauce with any well-prepared dish, emphasizing and enhancing its taste. Therefore, if you seriously decide to expand your cooking skills, you know where to start.

Bechamel sauce - cooking basics

The base for the sauce is Rublon, which is often called simply “Roux” by chefs. This is a mixture of butter and flour, brought to a straw color. Then a liquid component is added to it. In the original recipe it is cream, but you can use full-fat milk;
Some cooks add broth along with the dairy ingredients. It is not recommended to replace them with fermented milk products, otherwise they will curdle at high temperatures and the sauce will have lumps;
You cannot break the most important rule for preparing sauce, in which flour and butter are used in equal proportions. You can add different amounts of liquid, thereby changing the thickness of the bechamel;
For a light aroma of the sauce, you need to add milk. In this method, seasonings are added to a cold liquid, then heated at low temperature, and infused for about 30 minutes. In order not to strain the sauce, herbs and spices must first be wrapped in cheesecloth and the milk boiled with it;
Bechamel should have a light creamy color and light consistency. You can check it with a spoon. If the mixture drips off slowly, the sauce is cooked correctly.

The sauce consists of an oily flour base and liquid. First, the flour is fried in butter for about 1 minute so that it acquires a soft golden hue, and then liquid is poured in - broth with milk, cream or sour cream.

You can do it a little differently. Dry fry the flour and then add oil when it changes color slightly. When it melts, pour in the liquid and simmer until thickened.

Prepare the sauce using the recipes below and serve it with white fish, veal, poultry, potatoes, celery, cauliflower and other dishes.

Bechamel sauce - a classic sauce recipe at home

First, prepare the ingredients you will need to create the sauce. It should be milk and butter. You will also need salt and flour. You can add black pepper to taste, but only a little, otherwise the taste and smell will be too strong.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 l.;
Butter - 100-150 g;
Flour - 100 g;
Ground pepper - to taste;
Salt - to taste.

Cooking method:

First of all, let the milk heat up. It does not need to be specially heated or boiled. You just need to put it on the table so that it is at room temperature for about 20 minutes. By pouring in such milk, you will be able to quickly achieve homogeneity of the mass and avoid the appearance of lumps;
Now heat the butter. Please note: you do not need to try to throw it directly into the mixture of flour and milk, or heat it in one frying pan. Be sure to prepare the butter in advance. A small piece just needs to be melted and poured into any container;
Now it's time to fry the flour. There is no need to grease the pan. You simply take a clean frying pan, heat it up, and then pour in the flour. It must be constantly stirred with a spatula, shaking it and separating it from the bottom. As soon as the flour acquires a golden hue, you can begin to pour in the milk;
Pour in the milk carefully, in a thin stream. Hold a container of milk in one hand and a spatula in the other. Be sure to stir your mixture constantly. This is the only way you will be able to prepare the sauce according to the recipe;
When you have already poured in the milk, you need to thoroughly mix the flour again so that the mass becomes perfectly homogeneous. The butter can be added along with the milk, but some people prefer to add it later, when the main mixture is already ready. This is not of fundamental importance, so do what is most convenient for you;
At the final stage of cooking, you need to salt and pepper your mixture. If you need to make it less thick, just add more milk or water. Bon appetit!

Basic sauces are prepared using a certain technology on a certain liquid base with a minimum amount of products in the additional part. The concept of base sauces was developed in the 19th century by French chefs Marie-Antoine Carême and, later, Auguste Escoffier and is still standard in international gastronomy.

The main French sauces include:

Bechamel- the main milk sauce, prepared on the basis of white “roux” and milk. The basic recipe for Bechamel sauce is as simple as anything ingenious: fry equal amounts of butter and flour, pour in hot milk;
Veloute- basic white sauce, prepared on the basis of golden roux and light chicken/veal or fish broth;
Espanol- a basic brown sauce made from red roux and strong meat broth. It differs from previous sauces in that the oil-flour mixture is fried until dark brown;
Hollandaise sauce. Prepared on the basis of egg yolks and butter. The smooth, creamy sauce, reminiscent of mayonnaise, pairs best with seafood and vegetable dishes;
At the beginning of the 20th century, Escoffier also classified tomato(grated boiled tomatoes) and mayonnaise(from yolk, vegetable oil and mustard).

"Roux" is a heat-treated mixture of flour and fat, usually melted butter. Commonly used as a thickener in sauces. It is one of the main components for classic sauces of French cuisine, including Béchamel, velouté, espagnole and hollandaise sauce. To prepare roux, butter or vegetable oils are usually used.

All experiments at the stove begin with basic classic recipes. If you decide to go one step higher in the culinary arts, a step-by-step recipe for Bechamel sauce for lasagna, moussaka, pasta and other popular dishes will become a solid basis for further development.

Bechamel sauce for lasagna - basic recipe

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 100 g;
Milk (at least 3.2% fat) - 1 liter;
Butter - 200 g;
Nutmeg - a pinch;
Salt - to taste.

Cooking method:

Add flour to the pan. Fry it over low heat, stirring with a wooden spatula, until it acquires a distinct creamy hue;
Add butter, fry flour with it for 3-5 minutes, stirring vigorously with a spatula;
Pour the milk into the pan in a thin stream, while whisking the sauce. There should not be a single lump in the sauce;
Add salt and nutmeg, stir sauce;
Continue cooking the sauce, whisking, for another 8 to 12 minutes, until it is thick enough.

After this, the sauce can be used. It should be used hot. If it cools down, the Bechamel sauce must be warmed up before pouring over the lasagne or brushing the dough.

For more than three hundred years, the preparation technology and set of components have remained unchanged. The basis of the classic Bechamel recipe consists of flour, milk and butter. This base is often used to prepare other sauces, adding cheese, fried onions, nuts and various spices or aromatic herbs.

Lasagna - recipe with minced meat and Bechamel sauce

Lasagna (Italian: Lasagna) is a type of Italian pasta, which is made from layers of durum wheat dough, layered with various fillings and baked. Lasagna is a traditional Italian dish and there are many variations of its preparation. Today we will prepare lasagna with minced meat and Bechamel sauce, and with the help of a step-by-step recipe you will prepare the most delicious lasagna.

Ingredients:

Lasagna sheets - 200 g (6-10 pcs.);
Minced beef and pork - 1 kg;
Carrots - 3 pcs.;
Parmesan cheese - 50 g;
Tomatoes - 6 pcs.;
Hard cheese (Russian) - 300 g;
Garlic - 4 cloves;
Onion - 3 pcs.;
Vegetable oil - for frying;
Salt - to taste.

Cooking method:

Peel and finely chop the onion;
Peel the garlic cloves and press through a garlic press or finely chop;
Wash the carrots, peel and grate on a coarse grater;
Wash the tomatoes, remove the skins from them and grind them in a blender or grate them;
Heat a little vegetable oil in a large frying pan and lightly fry the onion and garlic in it;
Add carrots to the onions and fry them for a few more minutes;
Place the minced meat in the pan, add salt, add spices to taste and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes;
Add the tomatoes to the minced meat, mix well and let simmer for another 5 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat;
Grate the cheese on a coarse grater, and grate the Parmesan on a fine grater;
To make lasagna, use ready-made lasagna sheets. Before cooking, carefully read on the packaging how the manufacturer recommends using the sheets (whether you need to boil them first or not), take dry leaves without boiling them;
Place lasagna sheets in a baking dish;
Place half of the minced meat on top;
Evenly distribute half of the Bechamel sauce (see the classic sauce recipe above);
Sprinkle with half the grated cheese. Place lasagne sheets on top of the cheese again. Lay out the remaining minced meat, cover with half of the remaining Bechamel sauce;
Sprinkle with the remaining half of the grated cheese, and again place the lasagne sheets on top;
Cover the sheets with the remaining Bechamel sauce. Place the pan in an oven preheated to 180°C for 40-45 minutes;
After the specified time has passed, remove the lasagna from the oven and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and place in the oven for another 5-10 minutes. Bon appetit!

Lasagna with chicken and mushrooms with Bechamel sauce and cheese

In Italian restaurants you can see more than 2 dozen varieties of lasagna: with mushrooms and vegetables, vegetarian and with spinach, with chicken or minced meat. We recommend preparing lasagna stuffed with chicken and mushrooms.

Ingredients:

Sheets of finished lasagna - 5-10 pcs.;
Boiled chicken fillet - 500 g;
Mushrooms (raw champignons) - 400 g;
Hard cheese (Russian) - 250 g;
Onion - 1 pc.;
Greenery - for decoration;
Ground black pepper - to taste;
Salt - to taste.

Cooking method:

We start by preparing the Bechamel sauce. To do this, in a saucepan with a thick bottom over low heat, you need to melt the butter, then fry the flour a little, stirring constantly so that no lumps form and so that the flour does not burn;
Then you should slowly pour in all the milk, without ceasing to stir;
Add a little salt and pepper, add nutmeg and bring to a boil, remembering to stir. When the sauce reaches the desired consistency, remove it from the heat;
The first layer in our lasagna will be mushroom - we’ll start with its preparation. Cut the mushrooms into thin slices, the onion into small rings and fry the onion and mushrooms in heated vegetable oil;
Cut the boiled chicken breast into thin slices, grate the cheese on a coarse grater;
Preparing lasagne sheets. Stores sell ready-made raw lasagna sheets made from unleavened dough, like pasta, mainly from durum wheat. Boil lasagna sheets in salted water so that they do not stick together, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. This is the average approximate cooking time for sheets, which may differ depending on the manufacturer, so it is advisable to look at the instructions on the packaging;
Line the greased form with lasagne sheets, place mushrooms on top (half the total amount), pour Bechamel sauce over them;
Cover the first layer of filling with lasagna sheets. Place half of the chicken meat on them, pour Bechamel sauce on them and sprinkle with a little grated cheese;
Covering the layer of meat with lasagna sheets, spread the rest of the mushroom filling on them, pouring Bechamel sauce over them;
Cover the top again with sheets of dough, place the rest of the meat on them, pour over the sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese. There can be exactly as many such layers as the height of the baking dish allows you;
We cover the top layer of filling with a sheet of lasagna and sprinkle generously with grated cheese to bake a golden, aromatic crust;
Bake our lasagna in an oven preheated to 180°C for 30-35 minutes;
The finished lasagna is served hot, sprinkled with finely chopped herbs on top. In conclusion, we note that the calorie content of this dish is 450 kcal per 100 g. Bon appetit!

To highlight the taste of a dish and add special notes, it is important to learn how to skillfully cook Bechamel. By following the recommendations below, you will learn to cook in such a way that you will not be ashamed to serve food supplemented with it.

The sauce is prepared in several stages: first, a thickener is made. In France it is called “roux”, which sounds like “roux”, and is then combined with warm milk, sour cream or cream.

The preparation of the sauce, named after the majordomo of Louis XIV Louis Bechamel (although many assume that the dressing was created by one of the royal chefs, and he only appropriated the recipe for himself), begins with giving the flour a reddish color by frying it in butter.

When cooling, a crust forms on the surface of the Bechamel sauce, which is completely useless to us. But if you cover the pan with a lid, condensation will form and there will be water in the sauce. We don't need that either.
So we do this: take cling film and cover the sauce with it - place it right on top, letting out the air. Leave the Bechamel in this position until it cools completely, if you need to store it and not use it right away. Then we simply remove the film - the cream will not stick to it. Try it, it's so simple and so delicious!

There are several basic rules that are very easy to learn, then in any case you will get Bechamel sauce:

The right dishes. The frying pan or saucepan should have a thick bottom and a non-stick coating. To avoid damaging it, stir the sauce with a wooden spatula or silicone whisk;
Temperature contrast. The hot butter-flour mixture should be combined only with cold milk. And vice versa. If the components are at the same temperature, the sauce will form lumps or separate;
Milk only. No other dairy products can be used as a base for bechamel. True, some chefs like to experiment with cream. But they must first be diluted with vegetable or meat broth so that they do not curdle;
Knowing of limits. Bechamel is primarily a milk sauce. The delicate taste and aroma of milk should dominate, so do not overdo it with spices. They should only slightly shade the sauce;
Consistency. The thickness should be such that the Bechamel sauce slowly drips from the spoon, enveloping it. For lasagna or moussaka, the sauce may be thinner;
Correct delivery. Before serving Bechamel, you need to warm it up. As it cools, it will begin to crust. The pleasant aroma and spicy taste that the additive possesses turn the dish into an exquisite masterpiece. By experimenting with adding spices, you can get a new original taste.

Over the entire period of its existence, “Bechamel” has become so popular that it has acquired many variations, thanks to the addition of certain components (herbs, spices, vegetables). The only thing that remains unchanged is the base, although it is prepared in several ways: some add milk, others add cream. How to prepare and what to serve Bechamel with is up to you.

Bechamel has many variations:

Red or black pepper, nutmeg, bay leaf, tomato paste, horseradish root, fried onions, cheese are added to its base;
It can be liquid if used as a gravy, medium thick and thick if seasoned with soup, julienne, lasagna, spaghetti or baked meat, fish, vegetables. The thickness of the sauce can be varied by adding more or less flour. This will prevent Bechamel from drying out and forming a crusty film;
If the sauce turns out to be more liquid than you expected, you should not add flour to the finished mass; it is better to keep it on the stove longer than usual. This will be enough for the mass to thicken.

To make it more convenient to add milk to the sauce in a thin stream, you should immediately pour it from the bag, without pouring it into a glass. The finished Bechamel sauce is well stored in the refrigerator, but if there is a need to keep it warm, you can keep it in a steam bath for an hour.

To prevent a film from forming on the surface of the sauce, you can place thin slices of butter or baking paper or cling film on it. Bon appetit!

Bechamel sauce - step-by-step video recipe at home

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French cuisine is one of the most extensive in the world. The variety of sauces available is simply overwhelming. Their approximate number is several hundred. And one of the most popular is the famous bechamel sauce.

One of the four main sauces in France, the so-called “mother” sauces. Béchamel sauce has a complicated history and several origins, but there are many derivatives from it.

Bechamel is prepared on the basis of a heat-treated mixture of flour and butter, called Roux (in French, roux), with the addition of milk. Bechamel is translated from French as white sauce. It is served with white meat, vegetables, fish and is the main sauce for lasagna. And here is the classic recipe for Italian lasagna at home.

If we talk about lasagna, then this is an Italian dish, and here lies the confusion of the origin of bechamel sauce. According to one version, it was invented in Italy. And he was introduced to the French public during the wedding of the Italian Catherine de' Medici and the future King of France Henry II, Prince Henry de Valois. And for many Italians, béchamel sauce is still Italian.

According to other versions, it was invented in France during the reign of King Louis XIV. On the one hand, they say that the sauce was created by the Marquis Louis de Bechamel, who managed the king's kitchen at that time. On the other hand, a contemporary of the Marquis, the chief cook of the kitchen of King Francois, Pierre de la Varenne.

If we compare these two versions, there is no evidence that Béchamel himself invented it. But La Varenne is the author of the book “The French Chef,” in which a recipe for béchamel sauce was published. It is quite possible that La Varenne made a gift to the Marquis de Béchamel, naming the sauce after him.

In addition to those already listed, you can hear many more names. However, the classic bechamel recipe is as close as possible to the one that was invented and published by the chef of the French king Louis XIV, Francois Pierre de la Varenne.

Let's finally prepare the classic Béchamel sauce or white sauce together.

Ingredients:

1 liter of milk;
100 g butter;
70 g flour;
1 pinch of ground nutmeg or Italian spices (to taste);
salt, ground black pepper to taste.

White bechamel sauce recipe

1. Place 50 g of butter in a thick-walled pan (save half the butter for later). Melt over low heat.

2. When the butter melts, add flour and mix immediately. Quite quickly it turns out to be such a mess.

3. Now pour the milk into the pan in small portions of 100-200 ml, constantly stirring the sauce with a spatula. Flour absorbs liquid very well and the sauce increases in volume before your eyes. To avoid lumps, you need to warm the milk well initially. It should be about the same temperature as the butter and flour mixture.

4. After pouring the remaining portion of milk, pour spices into the white sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

5. Mix everything, bring to a boil and cook over low heat for another 2-3 minutes. The sauce should thicken, but not too much. Please note that the sauce will become even thicker as it cools.

6. Place the remaining butter into the hot sauce and stir until it is completely dissolved. Cover the finished sauce with a lid.

Classic white bechamel sauce is ready. It can be served with meat, vegetables and fish. Bon appetit!

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