The first recipe of a sauce similar to béchamel is in the book Le cuisinier françois by François Pierre de La Varenne in 1651, made with a roux, as in modern recipes. The name of the sauce was given in honour of Louis de Béchameil, a financier who held the honorary post of chief steward to King Louis XIV of France in the 17th century.
The first named béchamel sauce appears in The Modern Cook, written by Vincent La Chapelle and published in 1733.
In France, according to most sources, Béchamel sauce was invented in the 17th century by La Varenne, chef to Louis XIV, and named in honor of the Louis de Béchamel, Marquis of Nointel, who is sometimes erroneously identified as its inventor.
Béchamel is a French word meaning “white sauce”.
Béchamel can be used as the base for many other sauces, such as Mornay, which is béchamel with cheese. In Greek cuisine, béchamel (σάλσα μπεσαμέλ) is often enriched with egg.
Béchamel is used in dishes such as the Italian lasagne al forno and canelons (Catalan; Castilian canelones), a Catalan version of Italian cannelloni. Its use was introduced to Greek cuisine, notably for moussaka and pastitsio by the chef Nikolaos Tselementes.
In Portugal it is a crucial part of one of our most beloved recipes – Codfish and cream – which is consumed North to South & Islands – and it makes it become velvety and delicious!
In whatever version, your cooking will definitely be upgraded with the usage of this sauce!
Ingredients:
| Ingredients |
Units |
Grams |
Ounces |
Pounds |
Teaspoons |
Tablespoons |
Cups |
| Semi-skimmed or 2% Milk |
1 litre or 1-quart |
1000 |
35.27 |
2.20 |
175.7 |
71 |
4.2 |
| Butter |
|
70 |
2.47 |
0.15 |
12.3 |
5 |
1/4 |
| Cornstach |
|
75 |
2.65 |
0.17 |
13.2 |
5 |
1/4 |
| Salt |
To taste |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Pepper |
To taste |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Nutmeg powder |
To taste |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preparation
First, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Next, add the cornstarch and whisk into the melted butter until smooth.
Cook and stir until the cornstarch turns a light, golden, sandy colour.
Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in milk, in 6 additions, until thickened.
Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the cornstarch has fully dissolved and the mixture appears smooth, typically for 10 to 20 minutes.
Season with nutmeg powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
If your sauce becomes lumpy, don’t despair – remember you can always use your forever friend – the magic wand or hand blender- and ta-dah, your sauce becomes as smooth as silk!
Pour into a sauce dish or bowl
Serve while hot and upgrade your cooking with this exquisite sauce!
