Bechamel Sauce (White sauce)

Bechamel (white) sauce is the easiest of all the leading sauces to prepare. Although at one time a bechamel sauce would be made with veal stock, today the sauce is almost always prepared by thickening milk with a white roux and adding seasonings. A properly made bechamel sauce is rich and creamy and absolutely smooth. The sauce should be the color of heavy cream and should be thick enough to coat food lightly. A basic bechamel or white sauce is the foundation for may other sauces and recipes!

Basic Bechamel Sauce
1/3 c. butter
3 Tbsp. Flour
2 cups Cold Milk
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Recipe with bechamel sauce:

Chicken Spinach Dinner Crepes
from Catherine Goold....my very best friend from high school!
(Her grandfather was a French Chef in FRANCE!)

For the Crepes:
3 cups Flour
4 cups water
8 eggs
1 tsp. Salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. lemon rind

Make the batter at least 4 hours ahead (up to one day) In a large bowl, beat the eggs slightly. Add the oil and water and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Slowly add the flour to the egg mixture; whisking until well combined. Stir in the vanilla, lemon extract and lemon rind. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When it is time to cook the crepes... don't panic!... the batter will have separated. Slowly stir until well combined and then check the consistency on the batter, you want it very thin. It may require up to another 1/2 cup of water to loosen it up. Wipe the crepe pan with a little vegetable oil on a paper towel before the first crepe. After that there is enough oil in the batter to keep them from sticking Pour a spoonful of batter onto a heated crepe pan swirl around to cover the bottom. Use just enough to cover the bottom so they will be thin. Watching carefully, cook each side for 1 - 2 minutes, adjusting the heat (usually medium to medium-high depending in your stove)

The first side is done when the edges start to curl up and crepe comes loose when you shake the pan. Carefully flip it over being careful not to tear the crepe...usually fingers work best! The crepe should be light golden/blonde in color. The first crepe always comes out looking a little strange but the rest should look normal. You will need to stir the batter often to prevent settling. This recipe will make about 30 crepes.

(These can be filled for savory dishes, desserts, breakfast or just a snack. Catherine's family enjoys just sprinkling them with sugar, fold and eating them warm!)

Chicken Spinach Filling:
2 recipes of Bechamel sauce (above)
3 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
10 oz box frozen spinach; thawed and drained well
1 1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 c. green onion, finely chopped

After making one recipe of the Bechamel sauce, remove from heat. Add the Swiss cheese and stir until completely melted. Add the green onion, spinach and chicken, stirring after each addition until thoroughly combined. Heat on low until mixture is hot. Scoop about 1/2 c. of the chicken filling into each crepe and roll. This will fill 8-10 crepes depending in size.

Pour desired amount of additional 2nd recipe of the bechemel sauce over filled crepes and garnish with tasted almonds and parsley. Sauteed mushrooms are also very good as a garnish or even added in the filling.