Glossary of food terms: B

Béchamel sauce

A white sauce given extra flavour by infusing the milk with carrot, onion, celery, black peppercorns, mace and bay leaf for 30 minutes.

Like hollandaise, mayonnaise and créme anglaise, béchamel forms the basis of numerous other sauces. It was named after its inventor, Louis XIV's steward Louis de Béchamel. It's a versatile sauce for all sorts of dishes including macaroni cheese, lasagne and croque-monsieur.

• Béchamel sauce