Béchamel (cheese) Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 small onion, peeled
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tsp. Thyme
• Salt
• Pepper
• Nutmeg

Directions

1. Use cloves as tacks to adhere bay leaves to onion.

2. Place onion in heavy saucepan with milk.

3. Bring to low simmer over medium heat, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in separate heavy pan, combine flour and butter and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. This cooks the starchy taste out of the flour.

5. Remove from heat and set aside.

6. Remove onion from hot milk.

7. Return cooled flour to medium heat and slowly add in hot milk, whisking to remove lumps .

8. Bring to high simmer, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for 20 minutes.

9. Add salt, pepper, thyme and nutmeg to taste. If there are lumps in the sauce that whisking will not smooth out, strain sauce through a fine strainer.

10. Béchamel is the base for cheese sauce (add grated cheese)and stir until melted. Set aside until Macaroni is ready.

Email to a friend | Print this recipe | Back