Bread Sauce
Milk infused with onion and clove, thickened with breadcrumbs
Medieval in origin and still the right thing with roast chicken, turkey or game. Milk infused with onion, clove and bay, then thickened with nothing but stale bread.
The infusion needs at least half an hour. Rush it and it tastes of milk and breadcrumbs, which is exactly what it is trying not to be.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 6 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 black peppercorns
- A blade of mace or a good grating of nutmeg
- 3 ounces stale white bread, crusts removed, torn or crumbed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Kosher salt and white pepper
Instructions
- Stud the onion halves with the cloves. Put them in a saucepan with the milk, bay leaves, peppercorns and mace.
- Bring slowly to just below a simmer, then take off the heat, cover, and leave to infuse for at least 30 minutes — an hour is better.
- Strain the milk and return it to the pan. Discard the aromatics.
- Stir in the breadcrumbs and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until thick and porridge-like.
- Beat in the butter and cream. Season generously with salt, white pepper and nutmeg.
- Serve warm, in a jug or a small bowl.
Notes
- Stale bread absorbs better than fresh. Fresh bread makes it gluey.
- Thickens as it stands; loosen with a little more warm milk.