Béchamel Sauce (Beeton)
Photo: Jacek Halicki, CC BY-SA 4.0
This white sauce is flavored by steeping the milk with onion, herbs and peppercorns before it ever meets the roux. That order matters, because the sauce picks up a gentle savory depth instead of tasting of flour and butter alone. Beeton's version finishes with nutmeg and a little cayenne, then gets strained for a smooth texture. It is a sturdy base for gratins, lasagne and creamed vegetables, and you can use white stock in place of milk.
Instructions
Pour the milk into a saucepan and set it over the heat. Add the onion or shallot, the bouquet garni, the peppercorns and the bay leaf, then bring it to a boil. The source also lists mace in this step, but mace is not in the ingredient list, so leave it out unless you have it.
In a second saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook the roux briefly, keeping it pale, so it does not take on any brown color.
Pour the hot, flavored milk into the roux and whisk over the heat until the sauce comes to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Press the sauce through a sieve or a piece of muslin to remove the aromatics, and return it to the clean saucepan. Season lightly with the nutmeg, cayenne and salt, then serve.
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