Béchamel Sauce is used over
fish,
meat,
fowl, and
game mixtures with
vegetables. It is also part of a number of other
recipes; I have included it here because it is used to make
Lobster Bohemienne.
1 quart of milk
1 bay leaf
¼ cup of butter
1-½ tablespoons of grated onion
¼ cup of flour
2 tablespoons of butter
¼ lb of veal
Salt
White pepper
Dash of nutmeg
2 well-beaten egg yolks
In a large saucepan scald 1 quart of milk with 1 large bay leaf.
Meanwhile in another saucepan heat ¼ cup of butter, sauté 1-½ tablespoons of grated onion in the butter, stirring almost constantly; do not brown the onion. Stir in ¼ cup of flour. Remove the bay leaf from the scalded milk. Slowly add the scalded milk to the flour and butter mixture, stirring constantly until smooth. Set over hot water to keep the sauce hot.
In another saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter; season with salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg, then stir in ¼ pound of coarsely chopped lean raw veal do not let the veal brown.
Very slowly pour the scalded milk mixture over the veal and cook over a very low flame, in a large heavy saucepan for one hour stirring frequently from the bottom of the pan.
Strain this sauce through a fine-meshed sieve and place bits from a tablespoon of butter over the sauce to prevent a crust from forming on the sauce. Just before serving stir in two well beaten egg yolks.
Note: This sauce will keep for a week in a sealed jar in the refrigerator and can be reheated over hot water, (don’t add the egg yolks if storing).
see also Bechemel Sauce