Bechamel Sauce

[frogprincess]

I have a recipe which called for 'milk.' I have never made a bechamel sauce before and I am wondering whether I should use whole milk, 2% or even cream.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated : 0 )

Thanks!

[Patrick S]

Whenever a recipe calls for milk, I would use whole milk, since the higher fat content may be essential. You could probably use 2% milk, but it wouldn't turn out as . . . creamy.

[JayBassin]

Whenever a recipe calls for milk, I would use whole milk, since the higher fat content may be essential.  You could probably use 2% milk, but it wouldn't turn out as . . .  creamy.

←

While I agree that the bechemel won't be as "creamy," one rarely eats bechemel by itself. Once incorporated into the rest of the recipe, the lower fat of 2%, 1%, or even skim milk may not be noticible. I always use skim, myself, because there are too many other sources of fat.

[purplewiz]

If you have a choice, whole milk is probably your best bet, but if you only have 1% or 2%, they'll work fine. I use 1% because that's what we have, and since I rarely eat a bechamel just plain - usually it's a base for a cheese sauce or for layering in a casserole - how rich the sauce tastes alone is a minor factor. If it's a major factor, I'll throw in a tablespoon or so of heavy cream and be done with it. I've made very nice souffles with 1% milk bechamels.

I should mention the caveat that unless I'm doing a head to head taste test and paying attention, I can't taste the difference between 1%, 2%, and whole milk. (Skim milk is the exception, which always tastes like water you've rinsed a paintbrush out in.)

Marcia.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Whole.

[Khadija]

I always use whole milk, not because I am especially concerned about how rich the sauce will be when eaten on its own, but because I have found that whole milk absorbs the roux much better than milk with a lower fat content. It seems to me that lower fat content increases the probability that the sauce will split.

[Shalmanese]

If you only have 1% of skim milk, then you can just up the butter to get a better mouthfeel.