Catalan béchamel, the base sauce
Basic béchamel sauce, explained step-by-step: a light, gently cooked roux followed by gradually adding warm milk, resulting in a smooth sauce with no flou…
A well-made béchamel sauce depends on two key details: cooking the flour before adding the milk, and gradually adding the milk while stirring.
Ingredients and directions
- Prep time5 min
- Cook time20 min
- Total25 min
- DifficultyEasy
- CostBudget
- Cooking methodCooking in a saucepan
- Estimated cost$0.64 $0.16 / serving Estimated price; varies by store. Converted from euros at the ECB rate of October 15, 2026.
- Vegetarian
Ingredients
people
- $0.06
- $0.05
- $0.50
- $0.03
Prices from US supermarkets for 3 of 4 ingredients; Belgian prices for the rest.
Directions
- Heat the milk until it begins to simmer.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour.
- Cook for three or four minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, without letting it brown: this step is crucial to avoid a floury taste.
- Remove from the heat and slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking vigorously to achieve a smooth, lump-free texture. ≈ 3 min
- Season, return to the pan, and cook for fifteen minutes.
The bill
Catalan béchamel, the base sauce
- 15 g of butter or margarine (about 1 tablespoon)$0.06
- 30 g of flour (2 tablespoons, packed)$0.05
- 50 cl of milk$0.50
- salt$0.03
Total$0.64
that's $0.16 per person
Estimated price; varies by store.
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