of milk and flour proteins that forms at the
surface. Starch is more effective at thickening
milk than it is meat stocks, apparently
because it bonds both to the milk proteins and
the fat globules and so recruits these weighty
ingredients into its flow-slowing network.
Thanks to its pleasant but neutral flavor,
béchamel is a versatile sauce that can be
imbued with many flavors and served with
many mainingredients. It’s also made in
several thicknesses for a variety of purposes.
Thick preparations (6% flour by weight) serve
as the base for soufflés, somewhat thinner
ones as a moistening and enrichment for
gratins.
In the “boiled dressing” often used in the
United States to moisten coleslaw and other
robust salads, flour not only thickens the milk
and/or cream, but also helps prevent the
vinegar from curdling the milk and egg-yolk
proteins into coarse particles.
Gravy