Bechamel Sauce

Bechamel Sauce (Salsa Balsamella) is a white sauce of butter, (our, and milk that helps bind the components of scores of Italian dishes: lasagne, gratins of vegetables, and many a pasticcio and timballo - succulent compounds of meat, cheese, and vegetables.

A smooth, luxuriantly creamy béchamel is one of the most useful preparations in the repertory of an Italian cook and it is easy to master, if you heed three basic rules.

First, never allow the (our to become colored when you cook it with the butter, or it will acquire a burnt, pasty taste.

Second, add the milk to the (our and butter mixture gradually and o7 heat to keep lumps from forming.

Third, never stop stirring until the sauce is formed.

About 1 2⁄3 cups medium-thick béchamel:

2 cups milk
4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1. Put the milk in a saucepan, turn on the heat to medium low, and bring the milk just to the verge of boiling, to the point when it begins to form a ring of small, pearly bubbles.

2. While heating the milk, put the butter in a heavy-bottomed, 4- to 6-cup saucepan, and turn on the heat to low. When the butter has melted completely, add all the (our, stirring it in with a wooden spoon. Cook, while stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Do not allow the flour to become colored. Remove from heat.

3. Add the hot milk to the (our-and-butter mixture, no more than 2 tablespoons of it at a time. Stir steadily and thoroughly. As soon as the 1rst 2 tablespoons of milk have been incorporated into the mixture, add 2 more, and continue to stir.Repeat this procedure until you have added 1⁄2 cup milk; you can now put in the rest of the milk 1⁄2 cup at a time, stirring steadfastly, until all the milk has been smoothly amalgamated with the flour and butter.

4. Place the pan over low heat, add the salt, and cook, stirring without interruption, until the sauce is as dense as thick cream. To make it even thicker, should a recipe require it, cook and stir a little longer. For a thinner sauce, cook it a little less. If you 1nd any lumps forming, dissolve them by beating the sauce rapidly with a whisk.

Ahead of time note

Béchamel takes so little time to prepare it is best to make just when you need it, so you can spread it easily while it is still soft.

If you must make it in advance, reheat it slowly, in the upper half of a double boiler, stirring constantly as it warms up, until it is once again supple and spreadable.

If you are making béchamel one day in advance, store it in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container.

Increasing the recipe

You can double or triple the quantities given above, but no more than that for any single batch.

Choose a pan that is broader than it is tall so the sauce can cook more quickly and evenly.

Source: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking Book