White Sauce
White sauce, commonly known as béchamel, is a foundational French mother sauce made from a roux—a mixture of butter and flour—combined with milk or stock. The roux is cooked briefly before the liquid is gradually whisked in to create a smooth, creamy sauce. Béchamel is one of the five French mother sauces and serves as a base for numerous derivative sauces and dishes across European and international cuisine.
Preparation
The basic preparation involves melting butter, stirring in flour to form a paste, and cooking the roux for one to two minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Milk or stock is then gradually whisked into the roux to prevent lumps from forming, creating a uniform sauce. The mixture is simmered until it reaches the desired consistency, typically a few minutes. Seasoning with salt, white pepper, and sometimes nutmeg completes the sauce.
Uses and Applications
Béchamel serves as a key ingredient in many classic dishes, including lasagna, moussaka, and croque monsieur sandwiches. It is also used to create other mother sauces, such as mornay sauce, which adds cheese to the béchamel base. The sauce’s versatility and neutral flavor make it suitable for both savory and contemporary applications in both traditional European cooking and modern cuisine.
Source Notes
- 2026-05-01: # Andy Cooks’ Detailed Lasagna Recipe: Ragout, Pasta, Béchamel Generated: 2026-05-01 · API: Gemini 2.5 Flash · Modes: Summary --- Andy Cooks’ Detailed Lasagna Recipe: Ragout, Pasta, Béchamel Clip title: Lasagna Better Than Your Mums Author / channel: Andy Cooks *URL: (Andy Cooks’ Detailed Lasagna Recipe: Ragout, Pasta, Béchamel)