Olive Oil Béchamel
- Total Time
- About 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2tablespoons finely chopped shallot or onion (optional)
- 2tablespoons flour
- 2cups low-fat (1 percent) milk
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground white or black pepper
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 servings)
173 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 428 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the shallot or onion, and cook, stirring, until softened, about three minutes. Stir in flour, and cook, stirring, for about three minutes until smooth and bubbling but not browned. The paste should have the texture of wet sand. Whisk in the milk all at once, and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low, and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and lost its raw flour taste. Season with salt and pepper. Strain while hot into a heatproof bowl or a Pyrex measuring cup.
- You can make a béchamel up to a day ahead of using it. Keep in the refrigerator. If you lay a sheet of plastic or wax paper directly on the top, there is less chance that a skin will form. If it does, whisk vigorously when you reheat the béchamel and the sauce should be as smooth as it was when you made it. Thin out if necessary with milk or stock.
Private Notes
Comments
I like to add a sprinkle (~1/8 tsp) of nutmeg, and the prefer white pepper for no specks and its winey flavor.
As was indicated in a much older comment, this sauce needed to be cooked longer than 10 minutes in order to achieve the béchamel consistency. I also did not use the shallots as I needed just a simple sauce. Frankly, it did not even need to be strained. This white sauce is very good, and good alternative to using butter!
Had never thought of olive oil, this good made with a not too fruity oil. I do like a pinch of nutmeg to the sauce as it cooks. Adds that "something".
Used half butter half olive oil. Cold milk all at once. Be patient and keep stirring. Takes a while to thicken on low heat. Lovely texture.
A good recipe, I used cashew milk and added a little bit of nutritional yeast to give a slightly more cheesy flavor as I cannot eat dairy. I did not have trouble getting it to thicken, although I may use a little bit more flour in the future for slightly thicker sauce.
I made this last night along with Martha Rose Shulman's baked orzo with artichokes and both were bonkers good. By the time I needed to add the flour the shallots were too brown so I strained those out - next time I'll just add them a little later or saute them separately. Otherwise the sauce thickened quickly and had a terrific consistency - I'll definitely make it again as a substitute for dairy-based bechamel.
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