Béchamel sauce

Directions

1. In a saucepan, warm the milk with salt, pepper, nutmeg, bay leaf and onion with cloves stuck in at medium temperature;
2. When the milk starts simmering, turn the heat off and set the milk aside for 5 minutes to defuse the flavours;
3. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat and reduce the heat to a minimum as soon as it starts frying;
4. Add flour to the butter and whisk for a minute--minute and a half, without letting the roux burn. Then set it aside to cool down;
5. Add the milk to the cool roux through a sieve and whisk until smooth;
6. While whisking continuously thicken the sauce over low to medium heat. The goal is a thick but still liquid and rich Béchamel.