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wing03 t1_jaclo98 wrote

What am I doing wrong or is this a regional taste thing?

No matter how I make the béchamel, higher fat dairy, salt, parmesan, I can't help but feel like it's diluting my sauce with essentially flour and milk. I like white sauce on things alone but the velvety, rich and robustness I get from a beef stew or ground beef stew that I use in lasagna are not pleasing with a bechamel.

Ricotta is much better for me. It's what I learned from other Italian families in Toronto in the 80s and 90s. It's fatty and creamy and actually pairs better on my palate. But that said, out of 10 bolognese lasagnas that I make, I might do 1 or less with ricotta since it's also not in my mind as a must have ingredient.

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topaz1008 OP t1_jacow6n wrote

TBH I actually prefer the béchamel mostly because it adds a different texture , I tried this with ricotta before and its just not the same.

Proportionally for this size lasanga (2kg ground beef, about 6; 400g cans of whole tomatoes) I only use 1L of milk, but I also add a lot of salt, black pepper, a touch of nutmeg, and about 200g finely grated parmesan to the béchamel.

I probably also cook the roux a tad longer than traditionally required; to a light blonde before adding the milk.

While building the lasagna, I layer each ingredient separately. i.e. lasagna sheets, bolognese, streaks of béchamel, and grated mozzarella in each layer.

So it doesnt get all mixed up, when it sets, you end up with little "pockets" of creamy cheesy béchamel surrounded by rich beef and tomato sauce gif

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Cuntdracula19 t1_jacwcgz wrote

I prefer a béchamel because I don’t really love the texture of ricotta. It isn’t terrible, but it isn’t my favorite. The last lasagna I made I decided to try a béchamel instead of ricotta and it was my husbands and my favorite lasagna we’ve ever had. Never going back!

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randybobandy654 t1_jadm3mm wrote

Does adding cheese to a béchamel make it a mornay?

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topaz1008 OP t1_jadmgxg wrote

If you want to be specific, then technically yes it does gif

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randybobandy654 t1_jadyj45 wrote

Can't wait to try this, I've only ever used a ricotta/mascarpone mix. Great job

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scalectrix t1_jad63jo wrote

I switch to Italian white wine (Orvieto usually) half way through making the bechamel, which makes it sharper and less claggy. No cheese or seasoning and roux made with unsalted butter - the seasoning comes from the meat sauce. Similarly to OP I layer lasagne sheets, meat sauce (beef/pork 50-50 with sofritto and tomato puree, 3h cooking) and then drizzle with the bechamel, which I apply with a wooden spoon channeling a kind of Jackson Pollock vibe, so the sauce (mostly cooled down) has to have the right consistency for that artistic vision ;) . No cheese in the lasagne at all apart from on top - generous parmesan and maybe a bit of Somerset Cheddar (local variation!).

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topaz1008 OP t1_jadadyw wrote

White wine in a béchamel? sounds interesting, I might give that a try next time.

What ratio of milk to wine do you normally use?

BTW I liked the Jackson Pollock analogy gif

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scalectrix t1_jaeaqx4 wrote

No hard and fast ratio really, but when the sauce starts to move beyond wallpaper paste consistency, I switch to wine! Medium-dry works well for me. a splash of chicken stock can work magic as well if you have some handy.

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MagneticDustin t1_jacng8l wrote

If you don’t like it with bechamel then don’t make it with bechamel. Plenty of regional styles of dishes that people prefer over the original dishes, and there is nothing wrong with that.

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