BÉCHAMEL SAUCE RECIPES

Béchamel Sauce
Makes about 2 cups.

1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon grated onion
few grains of Thyme
few grains of Nutmeg
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
dash of Cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine stock, onion, thyme and nutmeg. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and measure. Add water if necessary to make 1 cup.

Melt the butter over low heat; add flour and stir until well blended. Remove from heat.

Gradually stir in milk and strained stock. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Add cream, cayenne, salt and pepper.

Mushroom Béchamel Sauce: Sauté 1 cup sliced mushrooms in the butter for 5 minutes before adding flour.

Savory Fish Béchamel Sauce: Substitute 1 cup fish stock for chicken and 1 cup sour cream for the sweet cream. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives and 1/2 cup chopped pickle. If a thinner sauce is desired decrease flour to 2 tablespoons.

For even MORE sauce recipes, browse through