Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients -

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup flour,sifted
1 cup milk
1 small onion,studded with 4 pieces whole cloves
1 piece bay leaf
salt and white ground pepper to taste

Procedure -

Melt the butter in a medium heated sauce pan. Remove the sauce pan from the heat and add all the sifted flour at once. Mix well. Cook the flour with butter over very low heat, approximately 2 minutes. Before adding liquid, allow the roux to cool. Scald the milk and pour it over the roux. Stir or whisk vigorously until smooth. Add the bay leaf.onion studded with cloves and adjust the seasoning. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add more hot milk if necessary. Strain through a cheesecloth.