The Mother Sauces – Béchamel

Lesson 5 introduces Maxine to the five Mother Sauces, the foundation of classical cooking. She will learn the science behind sauces, why they thicken, and how to balance their flavors. The first sauce she will practice is béchamel, used for many dishes, from macaroni and cheese to soufflés.

Béchamel, the creamy, versatile white sauce, is the foundation for everything from macaroni and cheese to soufflés. Maxine will learn the classic technique of making a roux—cooking butter and flour together to create a thickening agent—before gradually incorporating warm milk to form a silky sauce. Timing and patience are key here; rushing the process or overheating the mixture can lead to lumps. She’ll also explore variations, like adding cheese for a Mornay sauce, reinforcing the idea that mastery of foundational techniques opens doors to endless culinary creativity.

Classic Béchamel Sauce (White Sauce) 🥛

Béchamel, or white sauce, is one of the five Mother Sauces and Maxine’s first sauce to master. Mastering béchamel provides a foundational understanding for creating many other sauces, by adding different flavorings, liquids, and ingredients to create other sauces, such as cheese sauce (Mornay). I hate nutmeg in my béchamel, but by all means, add it if you must!

Servings 250 ml

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  

• 15 g butter
• 15 g plain flour
• 250 ml warm milk infused with onion, bay leaf, clove – optional
• Salt & white pepper to taste
• A pinch of grated nutmeg optional

Instructions

 

• In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
• Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw taste (this is the roux).
• Gradually add warm milk, stirring continuously to prevent lumps.
• Simmer for a few minutes until thickened, then season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Notes

A roux is a fundamental culinary component formed by cooking equal parts fat (usually butter) and flour together. The cooking process, which dictates the roux’s color and resulting flavor, transforms the raw flour’s taste and creates a thickening agent. A white roux (cooked briefly) is delicate, while a brown roux (cooked longer) imparts a nutty, richer flavor. The roux serves as the base for many sauces, including the classic béchamel, providing the necessary thickness and texture. The longer a roux cooks, the darker and more intense its flavor becomes.

Course: Sauces

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Maxine’s Junior Chef’s College, Mother Sauces