Bechamel Sauce | Basic white sauce

Ingredients:

• Butter : 3 tbsp 
• Flour : 3 tbsp
• Milk : 3 cups
• Salt and pepper to season 
• Bay leaf : 1 (optional)
• Nutmeg grated : a pinch (optional)

Method:

• In a pan, heat milk with bayleaf for a few minutes then discard the bayleaf.
• In another pan, heat butter, as it melts add flour and stir/mix using spatula or spoon. 
• Keep the flame low to medium. We don't want flour to be raw but it should not burn nor change color.
• After few minutes add warm milk and keep stirring with the whisk so that there are no lumps.
• Start with a little milk at a time, once you get a homogenous mixture add rest of the milk
• Boil for a few mins, add salt and pepper to season.
• Add a pinch of grated nutmeg in end. 

Notes:

• Using bay leaf is completely optional. 
• you can also use half onion in place of bay leaf or both.
• Keep stirring the sauce to avoid burning and to avoid any lumps.
• Although recipe call equal amount of butter and flour, i like to add little extra butter for rich and deliciously buttery sauce.