Bechamel Embellished

Voila! The stock and fumet chapter has been put to bed, so now it's onto bechamel in the new sauce book. Some might argue, and in fact some of my friends have, that bechamel is boring. One of the five French mother sauces, I agree that it is certainly basic—it's a simple white roux sometimes flavored with a bit of onion and finished with milk and/or cream and seasoning.

But to me, that's a huge part of bechamel's beauty. The simple flavor backdrop and creamy, slightly thick consistency sets a dynamic, flavor-potential stage that helps it evolve into anything from a Nantua to a Soubise with the addition of herbs, stock, cheese, or really just about anything that makes sense depending on what you're pairing it with. Consider a chive and Parmesan bechamel over soft-scrambled eggs and toast, or a bechamel seasoned with mushrooms and wine for a tasty pasta topper. The possibilities are literally endless!

Not just a sauce, bechamel is also the delicious glue that holds together casseroles and gratins, as it does in this recipe I tested in my kitchen yesterday.

The inspiration for the recipe came from a visit to my local fishmonger. I found some gorgeous seasonal shrimp and some beautiful fresh stone crab (one pound of each). I crushed the crab with a mallet, leaving the raw flesh in place, and peeled and de-veined the shrimp. Both the crab and the shrimp shells went into a large pot with a bit of butter, a finely chopped leek, and a finely chopped small onion. After it softened, I deglazed the pan with a fat splash of chardonnay, reduced it down, added eight cups of water, and allowed the whole thing to simmer lightly, skimming along the way (see previous post) until it reduced by half. Then, I strained the entire fumet, discarding the solids, returned it to the pan and reduced it until it was down to a cup of liquid. The result is known as a glace—in this case, a crustacean glace. Two tablespoons of this were whisked into the bechamel, along with some herbs and seasonings to top the beautiful fresh shrimp and some more lump crab. The result was creamy, rich goodness that utterly defies the concept of a boring bechamel! Sacre blue!

Crunchy Crab and Shrimp Gratin

(Makes 8 to 10 portions)
 

For the basic bechamel:

1 shallot, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cold skim milk
1 cup cold half and half

Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the butter and shallot and sweat to soften for about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the flour and whisk to incorporate. Cook another two to three minutes, whisking and avoiding coloring the roux. Add the milk and half and half all at once, whisking to incorporate smoothly. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the bechamel up to a gentle boil. Reduce heat slightly, and continue cooking until thickened enough to coat a spoon and the flour flavor has cooked out. Season carefully to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve warm for the gratin recipe, which only uses half of this recipe. The rest will store fine in the refrigerator for a couple days until you're ready to make those eggs!

For the gratin:
1/2 recipe Basic Bechamel (above)
1 tablespoon sweet Vermouth
2 tablespoons of crustacean glace (see top of the column for instructions on preparation) OR substitute best quality fish stock or clam juice
2 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Generous dash Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and coarsely chopped
1 pound lump crab meat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs tossed with 4 tablespoons softened butter
 

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare the basic bechamel. Divide in half, reserving the remainder for future use. While still warm, whisk in the Vermouth, glace, scallions, parsley, Old Bay Seasoning, Tabasco, and lemon juice. Taste carefully and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, arrange the shrimp in the bottom of a shallow baking dish or pie pan. Top with an even layer of the crab. Pour the bechamel over the top, spreading with a spatula to distribute it evenly. Top with a layer of the bread crumbs. Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm! All this needs is a small salad to be a meal, and also makes a great appetizer with toast points.

Bon appetit!