

How to Serve Bechamel Sauceīechamel sauce is deliciously versatile. The thickness of the béchamel is determined by how much flour is used (and the quantity of butter would be adjusted accordingly). A medium-thick béchamel, which is what this recipe is, is the most versatile and is used as its own sauce or as the base for a variety of other sauces. A thin béchamel is often used as the base for creamy soups while a thick béchamel is what’s used in soufflé.

Just a little Sauce Making 101.Ĭlassically trained cooks are taught to make béchamel in three thicknesses. FYI, if you add Gruyère (or white cheddar) along with the Parmesan the Béchamel technically becomes a Mornay sauce.

You can also add a different cheese of choice. You can omit it if you prefer, no other adjustments needed. This version incorporates some Parmesan cheese for added depth and flavor. “That fellow Béchameil has all the luck! I was serving breast of chicken à la crème more than 20 years before he was born, but I have never had the chance of giving my name to even the most modest sauce!”įor you French purists: “ Est-il heureux, ce petit Béchameil ! J’avais fait servir des émincés de blancs de volaille à la crème plus de vingt ans avant qu’il fût au monde et, voyez, pourtant je n’ai jamais eu le bonheur de pouvoir donner mon nom à la plus petite sauce!”Īs classic today as it was then, bechamel is a timeless sauce that is enjoyed in the most rustic of kitchens to the most luxurious, high-end restaurants. Per Wikipedia, when the sauce was dedicated to Béchameil to flatter him, the Duke of Escars exclaimed: The sauce was named after him because he was credited with perfecting it from an older cream-based sauce. Originally known as “balsamella” in Italian, the name it is most commonly called by today is “béchamel”, named after the marquis de Béchameil, chief steward to King Louis XIV and patron of the arts. Where Did Bechamel Sauce Originate?Įnjoying a long history, béchamel has been made in Italy for centuries, particularly in Tuscan and Emilian cuisine, and was later imported to France, appearing in a French cookbook around 1651. A simple “white sauce”, béchamel is considered one of the “mother sauces” of French and Italian cuisine as it forms the base for a number of other classic sauces like Mornay, Nantua, Mustard, Soubise, Cheddar Cheese Sauce, and others. Probably the most versatile of all sauces, you’ll be making this again and again!īéchamel is a sauce every cook needs to know how to make. A deliciously rich and flavorful Bechamel Sauce recipe that features the addition of Parmesan cheese for a truly unforgettable sauce! Easy to make and wonderfully versatile!Īn easy, perfectly creamy bechamel sauce with Parmesan cheese for a wonderfully delicate flavor.
