Stand by the pot as the sauce cooks—once it starts to thicken, it will stick to the bottom of the pan if you don’t stir it constantly. And once the bottom scorches, the flavor will permeate the sauce. If the sauce does stick and burn, immediately transfer it to a clean pot without scraping the bottom. Check the sauce, make sure it doesn’t taste scorched, then continue. Don’t let these warnings scare you away from cooking the sauce enough, though; there is nothing worse than the taste of raw flour on your tongue.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 1 quart
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Pour the milk into a medium saucepan, season lightly with salt and pepper, add the nutmeg, and toss in the bay leaf. Heat over medium-low heat until bubbles form around the edge. Remove and keep hot.
Step 2
Melt the butter in a separate medium saucepan over medium heat. When it starts to foam, dump in the flour and whisk until smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the flour mixture changes color, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the seasoned hot milk into the flour mixture in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Cook the sauce, whisking constantly and paying special attention to the bottom and corners of the pan, until the sauce comes to the simmer. Adjust the heat to a slow boil and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the grated cheese.
Step 3
Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and into a clean bowl. The sauce will keep at room temperature for up to a few hours.
