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c/chefswesley_adamswesley_adams1mo ago

The day I killed a béchamel and learned why

I spent 6 years adding milk straight from the fridge to my roux, always wondering why it clumped. A sous chef at a place I worked in Portland watched me once and finally said 'you gotta warm the milk first.' Now I heat it to around 140°F and my sauces come out silky every time. Anybody else have a basic kitchen rule they missed for way too long?
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young.nora
young.nora1mo ago
Oh man that's such a good point about it being a bigger life thing. I feel like we all have those little habits we just never question until someone points out the obvious fix. Makes you wonder what other basic shortcuts we're missing just because nobody told us.
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the_emery
the_emery1mo ago
140°F milk sounds like an extra step when clumps just add texture.
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