A béchamel sauce is a basic white sauce that every home cook needs to master. It’s quick to make and not that complicated, too. Just imagine all the creamy dishes you could make with it, such as lasagna, cheesy gratin, and even baked salmon!
To make béchamel sauce, start by making a roux—a mixture of flour and butter that serves as your base and which makes the sauce thick. To make the sauce really malinamnam, smooth and creamy, add a good serving of evaporated milk. For flavor, season your sauce with aromatics (herbs and spices, like thyme, bay leaf, etc.), salt, and pepper.
Here’s a quick recipe that’s perfect for home cooks, developed by Carnation and Chef Sharwin Tee. Learn how to make basic béchamel sauce super malinamnam, and use it to make this yummy baked salmon recipe.
Baked Salmon Mornay with Grilled Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes Recipe
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4
Baked Salmon Mornay with Grilled Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes Ingredients:
500 ml (approx. 1 1/3 cans of 370-ml) Carnation Evap
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
40 grams butter
40 grams all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks
50 grams mozzarella cheese, grated
200 grams salmon, cut into small cubes
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
For the garnish:
24 stalks mini asparagus, cleaned, with bottoms removed
12 cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 lemon, juice only
How to Make Baked Salmon Mornay with Grilled Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes:
1 In a small pot, combine Carnation Evap, thyme, bay leaf, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil. Once the mixture boils, shut off the heat immediately, and let the milk cool off and absorb the flavor. Using Carnation Evap to make béchamel sauce gives it a creamy and rich, or malinamnam, texture as opposed to regular full cream milk.
2 In another medium-sized pot, melt butter over low heat. Add in flour to form a roux, making sure to mix constantly to avoid lumps. It is important to make the roux over low heat to avoid giving it too much color, keeping the bechamel’s color white.
3 Pour the strained milk mixture into the roux and mix constantly. To avoid lumps when making a béchamel, make sure the roux is hotter than the milk. This makes it easier to incorporate the roux. Simmer until mixture is thick, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4 Once thickened and seasoned, remove the milk mixture off the heat and add the egg yolks and cheese. Mix the béchamel vigorously as you add the eggs to avoid scrambling the eggs.
5 Add salmon cubes into the mixture.
6 Pour the mixture into wide 5- or 6-inch ceramic ramekins. Bake in the oven at 180°C for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the tops are brown.
7 In a separate bowl, toss asparagus and tomatoes in olive oil. Grill over high heat for 2 minutes.
8 Cut the asparagus in half and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
9 Top ramekins with asparagus and tomatoes, and serve.
For this recipe, choose a quick-melting cheese with a mild flavor, like mozzarella, so as not to take away from the flavor of the salmon. While shopping for and when picking out salmon at the grocery or wet market, go for the center cut or the tail meat. The belly cut could make the Mornay taste too fishy.
There are a few things to remember when making béchamel sauce. When making the roux, cook over low heat to make sure the flour and butter do not toast and become dark. You’re going for a light roux to create a white béchamel sauce.
Also, remember to use Carnation Evap for the creamy and rich texture, which is what the béchamel sauce is all about.
Whether you consider yourself an expert in the kitchen or just want to level up your culinary know-how, you can trust Carnation Evap to add richness and linamnam to your delicious creations.
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