Sauce Bechamel
- 4 tablespoons of butter (1/4 cup)
- 4 tablespoons of flour
- a pinch of salt
- 2 cups of whole milk
Step 1: make the roux
Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Mix in the flour and salt gradually while stirring continously for 3-5 minutes. The trick here is to cook long enough to minimize the flour taste, but not so much that it starts to turn brown.
Step 2: mix in the milk
Warm up the milk and pour it slowly into the roux while stirring vigorously. Be on the watch out for lumps and get rid of them as quickly as they appear.
If you are not using it right away, keep it warm to avoid the creation of a film on the surfrace while stirring occasionally.
For a thicker or thinner variation, add or remove butter and flour.
I have been a chef for 30 years and have held executive positions both within Australia and overseas. I must admit I am quite suprised to find bechamel the starting point for a soufle, although I do acknowledge that they can be made this way, I would not be teaching novices this way. However, alot of your recipes are quite good.
Thank you for the kind words, Ken.
I start my souffles with Bechamel because that’s how my mother and my grandmother were making souffles. And I’m always on the look out for different ways, different methods and I would love to hear how you make a souffle!
In fact, I’d be happy to post your recipe here if this is something that interest you, or place a reference to it if you have a copy online.