How to Make Béchamel Sauce

Edible Exercises

Start by making a basic béchamel sauce. Season this basic sauce with salt and white pepper. You can even add some dry mustard powder for a bit of kick, if you like. Drizzle this over steamed broccoli and enjoy.

To experience how to vary a basic béchamel sauce by adding aromatics during the roux-making stage, follow the recipe for Garlic-Prosciutto Baked Brussels Sprouts (see below). Don’t worry – you can substitute any vegetable if you don’t like Brussels sprouts. Cauliflower would be a good substitute here. Just make sure to par cook and drain the vegetables well before adding to the sauce. You’ll note that we refer to the sauce in this recipe as Mornay Sauce, which is just béchamel with cheese added. Remember, most sauces come from just a few 'mother sauces'.

Let’s put this basic, yet versatile, sauce to another use and make a quick variation on the classic mac ‘n’ cheese dish – and we don’t mean the boxed variety. First make Mario Batali’s Besciamella (see below), which is just the Italian name for Béchamel. Once the sauce is done, turn off the heat and slowly stir in, 1 cup or so of your favorite, grated cheese. Parmigiano-Reggiano, white cheddar, and gruyere go particularly well with this sauce. You can even try mixing a few if you like. Pour the sauce over some cooked pasta (macaroni and shells will capture the sauce nicely) and season to taste. That’s it – that is how easy it is to make your own mac ‘n’ cheese.

Use a roux to make many quick and delicious soups. Refer to the recipes below for guidance.

Practice Recipes