Béchamel Sauce
Chef Hélène Darroze seasons her classic béchamel sauce with garlic, thyme, and Basque Espelette pepper.
- Serves
makes 4 cups
- Cook
20 minutes

The simplest of the French mother sauces, Béchamel has several origin stories, but the first printed reference appears in Le cuisinier moderne (1733) by Vincent La Chapelle, a master cook who served various aristocratic patrons, including Madame de Pompadour. In this version, chef Hélène Darroze adds garlic, as well as the mild Espelette pepper, cultivated in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. “This pepper is in my DNA, because I’m Basque. It has a touch of sweetness that makes it special.” Find Espelette in your local spice shop, or online from Kalustyan’s.
Featured in: "The Mothers of All French Sauces."
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups light cream
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig of thyme
- Espelette pepper
Instructions
Step 1
Step 2
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