Basic Bechamel ( Sauce)

Total Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch paprika (optional)
• 1 pinch nutmeg (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups milk, heated (or 1 cup each milk and chicken stock, heated)
• salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Recipe

• 1 in a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until blended, 1 minute. add the paprika and/or nutmeg (if using) and add the bay leaf.
• 2 gradually add the warm milk, whisking constantly. reduce the heat to low and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. season with salt and pepper.
• 3 increase the heat to medium and simmer to blend the flavors, 2 minutes. discard the bay leaf before using.
• 4 now you can use your sauce any way you like. like i said before, my personal favorite use is for making s#!t on a shingle (chipped beef on toast), but i also like eating this bechamel, as is, on veggies or making a cheese sauce (see *notes below). enjoy!
• 5 *note: for a thinner sauce, reduce the flour and butter to 2 tablespoons each, but stay the same with the liquid(s). (i highly recommend this if you plan to make a cheese sauce with this (posted below).
• 6 *note: to create a cheese sauce, whisk 1/2 cup (or more) of grated gruyère, parmigiano-reggiano, sharp cheddar or farm-house cheddar (my fav) or any other cheese into the finished béchamel sauce. if a lighter cheese sauce is desired, substitute chicken stock for part of the milk, or use a lesser amount of the flour & butter ratio (like posted above).