A French Element in Spanish Tapas

Even when a chef prepares ethnic foods, the origin of those foods frequently crosses at least border. Here's a quick example.

Earlier today, I watched Food Network chef Tyler Florence preparing tapas -- classic Spanish hors d'oeuvres. One of them was a dish called Gallina de Madre (pronounced: guy-ee-nuh day mad-ray). In Spanish, the name means "mother hen." Here's the recipe, which looks very tasty.

Interestingly, Gallina de Madre is prepared with a béchamel sauce, a white cream sauce that was conceived by Louis de Béchamel, a steward to France's King Louis XIV. Béchamel (pictured above) is the base used for the cheesy Mornay Sauce, and it is also used in some recipe versions of a Croque Monsieur.