290 ml | ½ pint creamy milk
1 slice of onion
1 blade of mace
1 few fresh parsley stalks
4 white peppercorns
1 bay leaf
20 g | ¾ oz butter
20 g | ¾ oz plain flour

1. Place the milk with the onion, mace, parsley, peppercorns and bay leaf in a saucepan and slowly bring to simmering point.
2. Remove from the heat and leave for flavour to infuse for 8-10 minutes.
3. Melt 20 g | ¾ oz of the butter in a heavy saucepan, remove from the heat, stir in the flour and cook over heat for 1 minute.
4. Remove from the heat. Strain the infused milk and gradually stir into the flour.
5. Return the sauce to the heat and stir continuously until boiling.
6. Simmer, stirring well, for 2 minutes.
7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

NOTE: To make a professionally shiny Béchamel Sauce, pass through a tammy strainer before use or whizz in a blender.

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Excerpt from Leiths Cookery Bible

[Leith, P., and Waldegrave, C., (2003), Leiths Cookery Bible, 3rd edition, Bloomburys, UK]