Bechamel is a white sauce with infinite possibilities. Add a bit of tomato juice, and you have Sauce Aurore; a bit of cheese, Sauce Mornay; onion and paprika, Sauce Hongroise. It is used in Chicken a la King, over ham or fish. There are several ways of making it, but mine turns out perfect, every time. The trick is to pour very cold milk over hot flour.
1 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white flour
1 cup very cold milk
Salt and pepper
Heat butter in pan until it bubbles, or oil until it smokes lightly. Add flour and stir vigorously, until well mixed and roux is fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour, all at once, the cold milk over the flour mixture. Stir quickly or whisk. Return to medium-low heat and stir continuously until thickened, about 5-8 minutes. Season to taste.
If you want a slightly thicker sauce, add more flour. If it’s too thick, add warm milk. It’s easier to thin this sauce than to make it thicker.