Bread Sauce

Method

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1. Stud each onion half with 4 cloves — pushing them through a bay leaf holds everything together and makes them easy to fish out.

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2. Put the onion, bay, peppercorns and mace in a pan with the milk and bring to a bare simmer over a low heat.

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3. Take off the heat the moment it steams, cover, and leave to infuse for 30 minutes. Do not let it boil at any point.

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4. Strain the milk into a clean pan, pressing the onion, and discard the aromatics.

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5. Stir in the breadcrumbs and set over a low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until thickened to a loose porridge. It thickens considerably as it stands.

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6. Take off the heat and beat in the butter, cream, salt, nutmeg and white pepper.

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7. Taste — it needs more salt than you expect — and serve warm rather than hot.

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Chef’s Tips

• Fresh breadcrumbs, from a day-old white loaf, blitzed. Packet crumbs make a gritty sauce.
• Leave it looser than you want it. It sets firm within ten minutes of leaving the heat.
• The infused milk can be made the day before and strained cold.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.

Pairing Suggestions

• Roast turkey or goose
• Cranberry sauce
• Pigs in blankets

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of milk, whisking, as it sets solid when cold.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.