Olive Oil Bechamel

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot or onion (optional)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups low-fat (1 percent) milk
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground white or black pepper

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy medium saucepan.
2. Add the shallot or onion, and cook, stirring, until softened, about three minutes.
3. Stir in flour, and cook, stirring, for about three minutes until smooth and bubbling but not browned.
4. The paste should have the texture of wet sand.
5. Whisk in the milk all at once, and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken.
6. Turn the heat to very low, and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and lost its raw flour taste.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Strain while hot into a heatproof bowl or a Pyrex measuring cup.

extra virgin olive oil, shallot, flour, lowfat, salt, freshly ground white

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017372 (may not work)