Bechamel sauce

Ingredients

• 500ml (2 cups) milk
• 1 brown onion, halved, coarsely chopped
• 4 fresh parsley stalks
• 4 whole black peppercorns
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 whole cloves
• 40g butter
• 2 tbs plain flour
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• Salt & ground white pepper

Method

1. Combine the milk, onion, parsley stalks, peppercorns, bay leaves and cloves in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes to infuse. (Infusing allows the flavours to develop.)
2. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a large jug. Discard solids.
3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until mixture bubbles and begins to come away from side of pan. (When making a sauce that contains flour, it's important to cook the flour. If you don't the sauce will taste floury and may have a grainy texture.) Remove from heat.
4. Pour in half the milk gradually (otherwise the sauce will become lumpy), whisking constantly with a balloon whisk until mixture is smooth. Gradually add the remaining milk, whisking until smooth and combined. (If sauce becomes lumpy, strain through a fine sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to remove any lumps.)
5. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat. Taste and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.