Sauce Béchamel

Today’s béchamel is an abridged version of the original béchamel, which was a much richer, more flavorful sauce than the ubiquitous bland version used today. Originally, once the milk was added to the roux, the béchamel was finished slowly in the oven with the addition of veal, aromates, and seasonings. The present-day sauce béchamel might be a simplified version created for the home cook (cuisine bourgeoise) around the end of the 19th century.