Bechamel Sauce

Directions

• Heat a thick bottomed pan over a medium heat
• Add the milk, onion, bay leaf and peppercorns and gently simmer for approx 15 minutes.
• In another thick bottomed pan add the butter and let it melt down.
• Start to whisk in the flour until both butter and flour are totally combined. You now have a White Roux.
• You are not looking for too much colour here to make a creamy white sauce, so if the milk is not quite ready remove the roux from the heat.
• Once the milk has simmered for 15 minutes infusing all the flavours from the other ingredients, strain it into a separate vessel.
• Return the pot with the roux in to the heat rewarming if necessary and start to add 100 ml of the milk whisking all the time to prevent any lumps.
• Keep adding the milk at intervals until all the milk is combined with the roux.
• You must keep whisking well to avoid any lumps
• You should now have a nice smooth, lump-free white sauce.
• Add the pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and stirring the sauce over the heat to bring it back to a soft simmer.
• Let the sauce simmer gently for about 20 minutes to cook out the flour but stirring frequently to avoid the sauce from catching on the bottom.
• Quick tip: If you feel the sauce has caught on the bottom or you see small brown specs appear as you stir, strain the sauce into a fresh