Béchamel sauce

To prepare the béchamel sauce , heat the milk in a saucepan (whole, fresh milk) 1 ; separately, melt the 7 tbsp (100 g) of butter over low heat 2 , then turn off the heat and add the 11 tbsp (100 g) of flour all at once 3 , stirring with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Then put the saucepan back over low heat and stir until the mixture turns golden.

You will have thus obtained what the French call roux 4 ; flavor the milk with nutmeg 5 and a pinch of salt (this can be done at the end, when the béchamel sauce is ready); pour a little hot milk on the roux to dilute the bottom 6 , then add the rest, whisking vigorously.

Cook for 5-6 minutes over low heat until the sauce thickens 7 and starts to boil. With this recipe you will obtain an average thickness 8 . Your béchamel sauce is ready: you can use it for complex dishes such as lasagna, cannelloni and many other first courses. It is excellent for flavoring roasted meat dishes, boiled vegetables, fish, soufflés, in short... it's up to you!