Ingredients

White Roux:

3 parts Flour to 2 pts clarified butter by weight (12 oz flour, 8 oz melted butter by weight)

In saucepan over medium to low heat, mix flour and butter until it resembles wet sand. Should not have much color to mixture. Will smell like almonds when done. Remove from heat and measure out 8 oz of roux for this sauce mixture. Store remainder of roux in the refrigerator.

Sauce Base:

2 Qts Milk

1 Med Onion – whole

8 – 10 Whole Cloves

1 each Bay leaf

pinch Nutmeg

TT Salt & Pepper

Directions

Insert cloves into onion to create an “onion piquet”. Add onion and bay leaf to milk in saucepan and heat until just before it boils.

Once milk comes to a low boil, whisk in the 8 oz of roux (may need to take out onion and bay leaf to whisk in roux and then add back in after whisking). Allow to thicken a bit before taking off heat.

Once thickened, remove onion & bay leaf and drain mixture into a bowl using cheesecloth to catch any lumps. Add a pinch of nutmeg and salt & pepper to taste.

You can use this sauce as a base for other recipes such as adding cheddar cheese for macaroni & cheese, etc.

We will use this béchamel sauce recipe in future recipes coming up on Christopher’s Kitchen.