Olive Oil Béchamel
- Total Time
- About 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:Makes 1½ cups
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2tablespoons finely chopped shallot or onion (optional)
- 2tablespoons flour
- 2cups low-fat (1 percent) milk
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground white or black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 servings)
173 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 428 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the shallot or onion, and cook, stirring, until softened, about three minutes. Stir in flour, and cook, stirring, for about three minutes until smooth and bubbling but not browned. The paste should have the texture of wet sand. Whisk in the milk all at once, and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low, and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and lost its raw flour taste. Season with salt and pepper. Strain while hot into a heatproof bowl or a Pyrex measuring cup.
Tip
- You can make a béchamel up to a day ahead of using it. Keep in the refrigerator. If you lay a sheet of plastic or wax paper directly on the top, there is less chance that a skin will form. If it does, whisk vigorously when you reheat the béchamel and the sauce should be as smooth as it was when you made it. Thin out if necessary with milk or stock.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
J T Kirk
I like to add a sprinkle (~1/8 tsp) of nutmeg, and the prefer white pepper for no specks and its winey flavor.
Joan Abnett
Had never thought of olive oil, this good made with a not too fruity oil. I do like a pinch of nutmeg to the sauce as it cooks. Adds that "something".
Olga
As was indicated in a much older comment, this sauce needed to be cooked longer than 10 minutes in order to achieve the béchamel consistency. I also did not use the shallots as I needed just a simple sauce. Frankly, it did not even need to be strained. This white sauce is very good, and good alternative to using butter!
Denise
Made exactly as the recipe stated. What a good sauce especially with the addition of the sautéed shallots. I had to cook it longer to obtain the proper consistency.
Maureen
Typical butter white sauces use 2Tblsp flour for each cup of milk. But this is a much lighter version. You can increase the flour a bit for personal preference. Be sure to cook the flour taste out completely by spending extra time cooking before adding the milk.
kate m
Isn't the sauce supposed to loose it's raw flour taste in the 3 minutes cooking with the oil and onion mixture?
Mary Steele
Intriguing recipe- but why the lowfat milk? does it work better with the other ingredients or is it an effort to count calories? I steer clear of lowfat items because of the lack of taste, but sometimes they complement the requirements of the recipe.
Davis
I had trouble getting it to thicken. Not sure why. I added a bunch of arrowroot and it worked out ok. Next time I'll go lighter on the milk. Nutmeg is a great addition.
Joe Wheaton
This didn't thicken well. I wouldn't make it again.
Yvonne
Used half butter half olive oil. Cold milk all at once. Be patient and keep stirring. Takes a while to thicken on low heat. Lovely texture.
Gwyn
A good recipe, I used cashew milk and added a little bit of nutritional yeast to give a slightly more cheesy flavor as I cannot eat dairy. I did not have trouble getting it to thicken, although I may use a little bit more flour in the future for slightly thicker sauce.
suzanne
I made this last night along with Martha Rose Shulman's baked orzo with artichokes and both were bonkers good. By the time I needed to add the flour the shallots were too brown so I strained those out - next time I'll just add them a little later or saute them separately. Otherwise the sauce thickened quickly and had a terrific consistency - I'll definitely make it again as a substitute for dairy-based bechamel.
MJ
Never thought to use olive oil!! This is great, but didn't thicken as much as I thought it would. Wish I had read the comment to cook the sauce longer! With butter I really only need to cook it until it comes to a boil. I add swiss cheese, a little parmesan, bacon, tomatoes, and scallions to make a spaghetti casserole in a toasted baguette crust. I love ground cloves with this!
Mark
Followed the recipe exactly. Pretty... um... basic. If you've been cooking for a while, chances are you'll want to spruce this up with other stuff: maybe add some lemon zest, more parm or asiago, panko crumbs browned in butter, more fresh dill, etc. The recipe as written "needs" something.
Tancredi
I made with fat-free milk without a problem.
STACEY
Can plant-based milk be substituted for the low-fat milk?
Margaret Stewart
Do you think I could make this sauce with a non dairy milk?
rprp2
good idea but way too thin. easily fixed; use the proportions more typical of bechamel. Season with something besides the salt and pepper. I used mine for a moussaka, so seasoned with a little cinnamon. add a little parmesan if that works for the dish. you get the idea...
Very Flexible Recipe
Added almost a full teaspoon of salt to the mix (scant) plus several generous grinds of pepper for taste. Also didn't strain the mix as the shallots added more to the recipe I cooked it for. All in all, simple & flavorful! Will make again
Joe Wheaton
This didn't thicken well. I wouldn't make it again.
Maureen
Typical butter white sauces use 2Tblsp flour for each cup of milk. But this is a much lighter version. You can increase the flour a bit for personal preference. Be sure to cook the flour taste out completely by spending extra time cooking before adding the milk.
Mary Steele
Intriguing recipe- but why the lowfat milk? does it work better with the other ingredients or is it an effort to count calories? I steer clear of lowfat items because of the lack of taste, but sometimes they complement the requirements of the recipe.
kate m
Isn't the sauce supposed to loose it's raw flour taste in the 3 minutes cooking with the oil and onion mixture?
Davis
I had trouble getting it to thicken. Not sure why. I added a bunch of arrowroot and it worked out ok. Next time I'll go lighter on the milk. Nutmeg is a great addition.
Olga
As was indicated in a much older comment, this sauce needed to be cooked longer than 10 minutes in order to achieve the béchamel consistency. I also did not use the shallots as I needed just a simple sauce. Frankly, it did not even need to be strained. This white sauce is very good, and good alternative to using butter!
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