I’ve added parmesan to the above bechamel, that’s why you see some grainy bits. The bechamel without the parmesan should be creamy and smooth.
Also called by its Italian name, balsamella , this basic French white sauce is made by stirring milk into a butter-flour ROUX. The thickness of the sauce depends on the proportion of flour and butter to milk. The proportions for a thin sauce would be 1 tablespoon each of butter and flour per 1 cup of milk; a medium sauce would use 2 tablespoons each of butter and flour; a thick sauce, 3 tablespoons each. Béchamel, the base of many other sauces, was named after its inventor, Louis XIV’s steward Louis de Béchamel.
