BÉCHAMEL SAUCE BASICS
There’s more to the famous white sauce—béchamel—than meets the eye.
Sure, you’ve seen it in gratins, croque monsieur, or a classic lasagna. But in French cuisine, béchamel is far more than a finishing touch. It’s considered a base preparation, and as one of the five French mother sauces, it plays an important role in a whole range of dishes.
In traditional French cooking, mother sauces are foundational recipes—starting points from which dozens of other sauces are made. Béchamel earns its place not just for its ingredients, but for how incredibly versatile it is.
In this video, I go beyond the usual step-by-step recipe and dive into the why behind béchamel. We’ll tackle questions that are often overlooked:
What exactly is a mother sauce?
Why does béchamel qualify as one?
And how did it become such a staple in kitchens around the world?
Most resources online stop at the basic preparation—but there's so much more to explore. Did you know there are five classic thicknesses of béchamel? From light and pourable (great for sauces) to thick and spoonable (ideal for soufflés and cheese croquettes), each version has its own purpose.
Watch our video to gain a chef’s understanding of the beloved white sauce.