|
|
 |
Béchamel Sauce/Besciamella
|
Béchamel, along with velouté, forms the basis of all white sauces. It takes its name from the Marquis of Béchamel, master court chamberlain of king Louis XIV of France (XVIIth century).
The term "white sauce" refers to one of a categories into which sauces in general are sub-divided. These include brown sauces, emulsified sauces (further subdivided into warm, e.g. Hollandaise, and cold, e.g. the ever-popular Mayonnaise), and miscellaneous sauces defined as "traditional". |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WHITE SAUCES AND MOTHER SAUCES |
|
| 1. |
White sauces are prepared from a base of white roux into which hot liquid is gradually incorporated, usually milk or chicken broth. The French term roux, which is used not only in French kitchens but throughout the industry, is nothing more than a paste made of flour (soft-wheat) and butter in more or less equal parts which has been heated together over a low flame and stirred with either a wooden spoon or a whisk. As we see, the recipe is a rather simple one, but the procedure requires a certain amount of preparation and skill. One of the most common pitfalls is the formation of lumps. This occurs most often when the hot liquid is added too quickly to the roux, which must be cool. Another secret is to stir the mixture continuously when the liquid is first added.
As well as serving as an ingredient in more complex preparations, white sauces are also used as a base for other sauces and for this reason they are called "mother" sauces. Among these derivatives, the most important is, perhaps, sauce Espagnol, from which the famous Demi-glace is made. These two represent the cornerstones of both French and Italian Haute Cuisine.
|
|
|
|
|
| 2. |
Béchamel is generally used in recipes such as vol-au-vent, gratinated meats, dried pasta, boiled or steamed vegetables, fish, cream soups and soufflé. It can also be used as a binding agent; croquette potatoes, for example. The density of the sauce should match up with its intended use: if it is to be used to garnish a dish or for making a gratin, it should be fairly liquid whereas in a flan or for making croquette potatoes it should be more dense.
As taste and demand evolve, even a classic recipe like béchamel can be adapted, specifically by using lighter, healthier ingredients. It is becoming increasingly common, in fact, to substitute the milk with vegetable stock and the butter with vegetable oil, which in turn reduces cooking time. Flavor components and aromas tend to degrade fairly rapidly with exposure to heat. The resulting modified béchamel is more like a condiment than that soft-colored, glossy liquid that is the classic sauce. Using this approach brings balance and harmony back to the dish, where the sauce brings out the flavors of the plate and doesn't simply cover them up. Once the technique is learned it leaves the door open for creativity; perhaps by matching "béchamel" variations with the menu items: béchamel made with fish for fish fumé dishes; or made with vegetable stock to accompany vegetables; or made with aromatic herb infusions for meat dishes and such.
|
|
|
|
|
| 3. |
(makes 4 portions or ½ liter of sauce)
50g butter
50 g flour
½ l milk
salt
pepper
nutmeg (optional)
|
|
|
|
|
| 4. |
1. Melt butter in a medium sauce pot over low flame while warming milk separately.
2. Add flour to the melted butter while stirring continuously with a wire whisk or wooden spoon. Continue just until the color begins to change from stark white to slightly tanned (this is the famous butter and flour paste called "white roux").
3. Next, slowly add hot milk in a thin stream while stirring continuously. Initially the mixture may seem pasty or lumpy, but as more and more milk is added and worked into the mixture it will become smooth and fluid in consistency. It is imperative at this stage to stir incessantly as failure to do so will result in the formation of lumps. At this point the sauce can be seasoned with salt and pepper and a sprinkling of grated nutmeg, if desired.
4. At this point the actual cooking process begins and must continue for at least 10 minutes. Remember to keep stirring the sauce with a whisk over a low flame. The sauce will thicken progressively while cooking until it reaches the desired consistency.
5. As we have already mentioned, béchamel is a "mother" sauce from which other sauces are derived: it is used essentially to gratin a variety of foods; to bind mixtures such as croquette potatoes; as well as being an essential part of the dish which has come to be a national symbol of Italy, "lasagne alla bolognese".
|
|
|
|
|
| 5. |
If, at the end of the cooking process, the sauce should have lumps (béchamel should be velvety-smooth) then straining it through a colander or china cap is recommended.
If the béchamel sauce is not used immediately and needs to be stored it is a good idea to rub the surface with a knob of butter stuck on the tines of a fork. This will create a thin film on the surface which will protect the sauce from the drying effects of air and thus prevent the formation of a skin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
)
)
)
)
)
