Béchamel sauce facts for kids
Béchamel sauce, also known as white sauce, is a very important basic sauce in cooking. It's often called a "mother sauce" because it's a base for many other delicious sauces. For example, if you add cheese to Béchamel, you get Mornay sauce, which is perfect for dishes like macaroni and cheese.
This creamy sauce is usually made by slowly adding warm milk to a mix of melted butter and flour, called a roux. The thickness of the sauce depends on how much milk and flour are used. Sometimes, chefs like Auguste Escoffier would add salt and an onion with a clove stuck in it to give the sauce extra flavor.
The sauce is named after Louis de Béchamel, who was a French courtier in the 17th century.
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What is Béchamel Sauce?
Béchamel sauce is a smooth, creamy sauce that forms the foundation of many classic recipes. It's famous for its mild taste, which makes it a great partner for various ingredients without overpowering them. You'll find it in dishes from different cultures, especially French and Italian cooking.
How Béchamel Sauce is Made
Making Béchamel sauce involves a few simple steps:
- Starting with a Roux: First, butter is melted in a pan. Then, an equal amount of flour is added to the melted butter. This mixture is cooked for a few minutes, stirring constantly, to create a smooth paste called a "roux." Cooking the roux helps remove the raw flour taste.
- Adding Milk: Next, warm milk is slowly poured into the roux while continuously whisking. This whisking is very important to prevent lumps and ensure the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
- Thickening: As the mixture heats up and you keep whisking, the sauce will begin to thicken. The amount of flour used in the roux compared to the milk determines how thick the final sauce will be. A little more flour makes a thicker sauce, while less flour makes it thinner.
Key Ingredients
The main ingredients for Béchamel sauce are:
- Butter: Provides richness and helps create the roux.
- Flour: Acts as a thickening agent.
- Milk: Forms the liquid base of the sauce.
- Salt: For seasoning.
- Optional Flavorings: Some recipes add a bay leaf, a pinch of nutmeg, or an onion with a clove for extra depth of flavor.
Where Did Béchamel Sauce Come From?
The sauce is believed to be named after Louis de Béchamel (1630–1703). He was a wealthy financier and a steward in the court of King Louis XIV of France. While he might not have invented the sauce himself, it was likely named in his honor, as was common for dishes created by chefs in noble households.
Uses of Béchamel Sauce
Béchamel sauce is incredibly versatile and is used in many different ways:
- As a Base for Other Sauces: It's a "mother sauce" because it can be transformed into many other sauces. For example, adding cheese creates Mornay sauce, and adding mustard can make a delicious mustard sauce.
- In Baked Dishes: It's a key ingredient in classic baked dishes like lasagne, moussaka, and gratins, where it adds creaminess and helps bind ingredients together.
- With Vegetables: Béchamel can be poured over cooked vegetables, like cauliflower or broccoli, to make a simple and tasty side dish.
- In Pasta Dishes: Beyond lasagne, it's used in various pasta bakes and creamy pasta sauces.
Images for kids
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Milk infusing with bay leaf, peppercorns, shallot and flat-leaf parsley prior to being added to the roux
See also
In Spanish: Bechamel para niños
