Bechamel
Luxurious, versatile, and impressive very classic, white sauce that can open up your world of cooking again…
If you or a loved one are newly diagnosed with gluten intolerance or food allergies, fear not! There are so many things that are not safe to order out, but that you can make safely and deliciously at home. This is definitely one to learn, if you’re not familiar with it already.
Bechamel is one of the 5 core “mother sauces” of French cuisine. It is made rather simply by progressively adding warmed milk to roux (a mix of butter and flour). It has been a staple of French cuisine since at least the 1600’s and has been adopted by other cultures over the centuries. It has a long-standing history in Italian cooking in numerous dishes (i.e. - used in traditional in lasagne instead of ricotta) and is the basis for the cheese sauce in a good ole British/American macaroni and cheese, and even in US southern cream gravy.
The great thing is that mixing almost any cooking fat with gluten free flour will make a roux, and almost any milk (even non-dairy types - must be unsweetend, though) can be added to make the sauce. Then the cooking world is your oyster! You can use this sauce to make all kinds of veggie gratins, pizza-like pies, casseroles, filling for savory crepes and even sandwiches.
Ingredients:
2 TBSP Fat of your choice (butter, olive oil, pork/chicken/beef fat)
2 TBSP Gluten-free all purpose flour (or cornstarch or arrowroot)
2 C Milk of your choice (IMPORTANT - remember to make sure any non-dairy milk you use is ‘unsweetened’ and doesn’t have too sweet a flavor to start) warmed slightly (in a saucepan or in the microwave - you don’t want to use cold milk in this sauce)
1 TBSP Liquor (sherry or brandy) - OPTIONAL
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
Salt & White pepper to taste
Method:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the fat. Sprinkle in the flour, whisking to combine. Allow to cook, while stiring to allow the two to meld well and dry out. Add a few ounces of warmed milk and whisk. You’ll see the flour mixture will quickly absorb all of the moisture like a sponge. Add another few ounces of milk and whisk. The mixture will continue to absorb the milk with the next couple of additions of milk but it will get progressively doughier. With the next few ounces of milk added, you will see the beginnings of the sauce forming. Add the rest of the milk and stir constantly until thickened, being sure to scrape the bottom and corners of the pan to avoid any scorched spots.
The thickened sauce is known as bechamel. With the addition of a good handful of grated ementhaler, guyere or the like, melted into the mix, the sauce is known as mornay.
Bechamel or mornay sauce can be used in any number of dishes including as a sauce in crepes, croque monsieur, lasagne, macaroni and cheese… the list goes on and on. What recipe will you use it in first? Crepes? Croque monsieur? Something else???
