béchamel

American  

[bey-shuh-mel, bey-sha-mel] / ˈbeɪ ʃəˌmɛl, beɪ ʃaˈmɛl /

noun

1. a white sauce, sometimes seasoned with onion and nutmeg.

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Etymology

Origin of béchamel

First recorded in 1790–1800; named after Louis, Marquis de Béchamel (steward of Louis XIV of France), its originator

Explanation

Bechamel is a rich, pale-colored sauce made with milk. You can make lasagna with bechamel instead of the more traditional tomato sauce. Another name for bechamel — or béchamel — is "white sauce." Making a bechamel is a very basic technique in French cooking which begins with a roux, a cooked mixture of flour and butter, and after slowly whisking in milk, ends in a creamy sauce. The word bechamel comes from the name of a servant of King Louis XIV of France, Louis de Béchamel, who is said to have invented it in the 17th century.

Example Sentences

She's called Jooooey Bechamel but some readers might be forgiven for noticing a similarity between her name and that of Zooey Deschanel, actor, singer and cutesy star of US sitcom New Girl.

From The Guardian • Aug. 8, 2012

Prepare Boiled Halibut according to directions previously given, and serve with Bechamel Sauce, seasoning with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg.

From How to Cook Fish by Reed, Myrtle

Sauce Bechamel For sauce Bechamel, fill the cup half full of stock, then the remaining half with milk, giving again the half pint of liquid and usual quantity of butter and flour.

From Made-Over Dishes by Rorer, Sarah Tyson Heston

Ingredients: Eggs, butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cheese, parsley, mushrooms, Bechamel and Espagnole sauce, stock.

From The Cook's Decameron: a study in taste, containing over two hundred recipes for Italian dishes by Waters, W. G., Mrs.

On each one of these rounds place a chop and cover the top with Bechamel sauce.

From Joe Tilden's Recipes for Epicures by Tilden, Joe