I was asked the other day for an easy white sauce recipe, so I thought I would share a method that I learnt from Delia Smith. Not personally you understand 😉 just from her cooking shows. I have tweaked her quantities as I like my white sauce a bit thicker than her recipe. But essentially the method is hers.
Unlike the traditional way of making a béchamel sauce the key to this all-in-one method is that your milk and butter must be straight from the fridge. You need everything to start off cold.
After that it is just a case of whisking and gently heating until you have a glossy smooth white sauce. Then you can add your flavouring; cheese, parsley, mustard, tarragon. Whatever flavour you like can make this simple sauce fit numerous dishes.
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As a side note, if you really don't feel like making a white sauce then I have read that ricotta thinned with some milk will give you a nice topping for lasagne. I have never tried it but might be worth a go???
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Easy All-in-One Béchamel Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups milk
- 4 tablespoon AP flour (plain)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Chop the butter into cubes, about the size of dice.
- Pour the milk into a heavy bottomed pan and add the butter and flour.
- Place the pan over a medium heat and stir constantly with a ballon whisk.
- As the milk becomes hot, the butter starts to melt and will absorb the flour.
- Keep stirring and you will feel the mixture change.
- Once it starts to thicken, use a small wooden spoon to stir the sauce, ensuring you get to the very edges of the pan.
- Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let the sauce cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Remove the pan from the heat and check your sauce for seasoning.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
EveLyn Williams says
This is the most simple recipe Against all odds there are not any lumps Thank you for
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you liked it EveLyn 🙂
Elfie Back says
I made it today, it’s amazing how easy it was. It whisked up smooth without any lumps, I thinned it out with a little pasta water, what a great technique! Thanks for posting this fabulous recipe!
Claire McEwen says
Oh thank you so much for coming back to comment Elfie, isn't it just such an easy way to make a white sauce!
Tania @ The Cook's Pyjamas says
I have had great success freezing bechamel too. It looks quite dubious when you first defrost it, but if you stir it as you reheat it it eventually comes back together.
Claire McEwen says
Yup, you get that moment when it looks like everything is going to split and be grainy but as you stir and cook it becomes smooth again.
Thanks for mentioning this, I will add a note to the recipe for other people who might not have tried it before.