re: Help with a béchamel.Update page 3

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Should I add a white wine at anytime?

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If you want to add wine or any liquid, do so slowly and to the roux while mixing. When I add a liquor, I generally add it to the flour mixture before I add anything else. I do this because it needs to cook a bit to get the alcohol flavor out and if I'm making a cream based soup that isn't going to get the dickens cooked our of it, I don't want to add the liquor last.

I think you're hung up on making a bechamel. Just make the blond roux and add your liquids to it, slowly, while mixing. Don't make a bechamel and then just pour in a bunch of liquids and ingredients for a soup.

A bechamel is easy. It's simply a blonde roux with dairy added to it, slowly, to make it as thick or thin as you wish. It's usually the base for sauces, not necessarily a cream soup base.

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Get the bechamel thing out of your head. Make a blonde roux with the fat of your choice. Keep it over medium to medium low heat. Add your liquids, slowly, in whatever order you wish, whisking constantly, until you get the desired consistency.

You could also saute the veggies in the fat that you use for the roux. When the desired texture is reached, add the flour and stir until well mixed and the "flour" flavor is cooked out which, in essence, will get you a light blonde roux. Then, add the liquids.

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Ok, this sounds like solid advice. But how will I know if I have the right proportion of fat to flour?

Well, it's very fatty bacon so I could get a good bit. I suppose I should just eyeball it and not overshoot it with the flour

You could take part of the bacon fat out and replace it with butter if you think there will be too much fat in the pan or just remove some and save it for another dish. Personally, I would pour off the fat, keep the brown parts in the pan, add butter and scrape and then add the flour.

Too much bacon fat in a cream soup may be a little heavy. That's why I'd pour off the fat and keep the brown pieces, but use butter, for the most part, as the fat.

It's going to be fine.

Not sure about having pureed fat pieces in the pot. I'd just brown the chunks, remove and pour off the fat, myself.

Ok. You caught me while I was still chunking. Whew

Excellent!

Here was how it actually went.
Browned bacon in pot, added chopped celery, onions and garlic, and cooked down until clearish(I forget the proper term)
When they started sticking to the bottom, I poured some chardonnay in and deglazed it.
Did this twice. Then removed that mix and left the gratin stuck to the bottom. Introduced melted butter and flour, made a blonde roux.
Added scalded 1/2&1/2 to the mix and whisked into a base, then added bacon veggie mix.
Added equal parts beef broth and half and half, simmered.
Added can of cream of asparagus.
Grated 10 oz. Smoked Gouda into the mix, and some shredded Italian cheese mix I found.
Melted cheese down. Cooked for 20~ mins.
Added chopped green onions for last 10 minuites.
Everyone seems to like it. Very creamy and cheesy.
I'm satisfied.
Any questions?
Thanks for all the help