Béchamel Maigre is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic white sauce made from milk flavoured with onions and mushrooms that's thickened with an egg liaison. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Béchamel Maigre.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
BECHAMEL MAIGRE, or WITHOUT MEAT.
368. INGREDIENTS.—2 onions, 1 blade of mace, mushroom trimmings, a small bunch of parsley, 1 oz. of butter, flour, 1/2 pint of water, 1 pint of milk, salt, the juice of 1 lemon, 2 eggs.
Mode.—Put in a stewpan the milk, and 1/2 pint of water, with the onions, mace, mushrooms, parsley, and salt. Let these simmer gently for 20 minutes. In the mean time, rub on a plate 1 oz. of flour and butter; put it to the liquor, and stir it well till it boils up; then place it by the side of the fire, and continue stirring until it is perfectly smooth. Now strain it through a sieve into a basin, after which put it back in the stewpan, and add the lemon-juice. Beat up the yolks of the eggs with about 4 dessertspoonfuls of milk; strain this to the sauce, keep stirring it over the fire, but do not let it boil, lest it curdle.
Time.—Altogether, 3/4 hour. Average cost, 5d. per pint.
This is a good sauce to pour over boiled fowls when they are a bad colour.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2 onions, quartered
1 blade of mace
mushroom trimmings
1 small bunch of parsley
30g butter
30g plain flour
300ml water
600ml milk
salt
juice of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
4 desserts spoons milk
Method:
Combine the water, milk, onions, mace, mushroom trimmings, parsley and salt in a pan. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes. In the meantime, work together the butter and flour until smooth.
Strain the liquid from the pan, return to the pan then add the butter and flour mix, a little at a time, working it in until completely smooth and combined. Bring to a boil then turn the heat down to low and continue cooking very gently until smooth and slightly thickened.
Strain the sauce through a fine-meshed sieve to remove any lumps then return to the pan and whisk in the lemon juice. Whisk together the egg yolks and milk in a bowl. Whisk in a little of the sauce mix to temper then turn into the pan and whisk to combine. Keep stirring over a low fire until thickened, but do not allow to boil (or it will curdle).
