Sauce Béchamel

Ingredients (Yields 2 Cups)

• 35g AP Flour
• 35g Butter
• 500ml milk
• Salt TT
• Cayenne TT
• Nutmeg TT

Procedure

• Melt the butter in the pan.
• Once foaming, add all the flour at once and stir to combine into a thin paste. Cook a minute or so after the paste starts to foam up, stirring often. It will take on a "blonde" color and it will be done.
• This is a roux, a classic base for thickening soups or sauces.

• Add all the milk and whisk to combine.
• Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Bringing the starch to a boil lets it stretch its thickening wings, make sure it does so.
• After a moment it will become very thick.
• Season to taste with salt, cayenne and nutmeg. Fin.

Use this as a base for a zillion other sauces or a soufflé. Try adding tons of cheddar or gruyere and strirring into hot just-cooked elbow macaroni... stovetop mac & cheese!