BÉCHAMEL SAUCE
- 1 pint (2 cups) milk
- 1 small carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 small onion
- 2 tablespoonfuls flour
- 2 tablespoonfuls butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 whole peppers
- 1 gill (½ cup) cream
- Salt and pepper
Wash and prepare the vegetables, then slice them. Put them into an earthenware dish with the milk, whole peppers, and bay leaf, and let them cook in it until it is well flavored. Melt the butter in another pan, stir in the flour smoothly, then strain in the milk, and stir it over the fire till it boils; then let it simmer for ten minutes. Next strain it, return it to the pan, reheat it, season it to taste, and, lastly, add the cream, taking care that it does not again reach boiling point.