White beschamel sauce

The famous white béchamel sauce is rightfully ranked among the obligatory components of most dishes of French national cuisine. White beschamel sauce does an excellent job of its culinary duties and gives the final dish not only an improved taste and rich aroma, but also an appearance. White beschamel sauce is called classic or basic sauce, it is no coincidence. The recipe for beschamel sauce has a centuries-old history that began back in Antiquity.

The recipes and culinary traditions of the inhabitants of Ancient Greece and Rome had a huge influence on the further development of independent and distinctive culinary traditions of all European countries. Even in Antiquity, chefs made exquisite dishes and served them to the table with sauces of varying composition. Often, antique sauces were thickened with flour. Usually, ancient chefs used good quality wheat flour to make sauces. In addition to flour, honey and obligatory spices and spices were added to the sauces.

Composition of beschamel sauce

Since the days of ancient Hellenic civilizations, not a single sauce recipe has survived, which European chefs took as a basis. Of course, over a dozen centuries, the recipe for flour white sauce has undergone a number of changes. However, in our time, ancient white sauce can be found in the recipes of dishes not only French, but also Italian, as well as Greek cuisine. The surprising thing is that the classic composition of béchamel sauce has survived to this day unchanged. Based on the basic recipe of the master, culinary experts create their own and individual white sauces.

The main composition of the beschamel sauce includes ingredients such as butter, milk and wheat flour. Agree on nothing complicated or exotic. In addition to the main components, various seasonings and spices, as well as mushrooms, herbs or nuts, can be added to the beschamel sauce. It all depends on the taste preferences and skill of the cook. To make white beschamel sauce, fry the flour in butter and then gently pour the milk into the resulting mass, stirring constantly.

Beschamel sauce is perfectly combined with dishes from lamb, veal, beef, as well as chicken meat and game. Italians serve beschamel sauce along with lasagna or pasta. In France, béchamel sauce is considered a national pride, so the product is combined with different dishes and even used as a composite soufflé ingredient. To date, the controversy surrounding the authorship of the original French recipe for white béchamel sauce has not subsided.

Most researchers agree with the official version that the beschamel sauce was invented by the Marquis Louis de Beschamel, who was a financier and managed the cuisine of King Louis XIV of France. According to legend, the Marquis changed the recipe of another famous French velute sauce and received a new white beschamel sauce. However, some claim that the beschamel sauce was created by the court chef, and the name of the product was given in honor of the marquis.

Another version speaks of the participation of the famous Queen Catherine Medici, who moved to France and brought Italian traditions to the culture, life and cooking of her new homeland. Italians claim that the beschamel sauce was invented based on Italian sauces. Be that as it may, bechamel sauce has remained a favorite for many centuries. Based on the basic white sauce, bechamel is also made by others. For example, morne sauce or bechamel with cheese and fish broth. Nantua sauce is made with cream and crab oil, while subiz sauce is an onion puree beschamel.