Bread sauce

Name: Bread sauce
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 750 ml Milk (Main); 1 Onion, quartered; 1 tsp Peppercorns; 1 tsp Allspice berries (Main); 3 Cardamom pods (Main); 1 piece Mace, a blade from the whole spice (Main); 1 piece Cinnamon bark (Main); 1 Star anise (Main); 3 cloves Cloves (Main); 5 slices Sourdough bread, thick slices of dry or stale bread (ours was dried in a moderate oven) enough to make approximately 1½ cups fresh breadcrumbs (Main); 50 g Butter; 1 splash Cream; 1 sprinkle Grated nutmeg, or a little grated lemon zest to garnish

for 8 people

Tam West

Warren Elwin

Food writer

VIEW PROFILE

This is a classic accompaniment to roast turkey. The infused milk makes this soulful medieval sauce worthy of revisiting, and a fine substitute for stuffing. See my recipe for turkey cooked in an oven bag, here.

Ingredients

750 ml	Milk (Main)
1	Onion, quartered
1 tsp	Peppercorns
1 tsp	Allspice berries (Main)
3	Cardamom pods (Main)
1 piece	Mace, a blade from the whole spice (Main)
1 piece	Cinnamon bark (Main)
1	Star anise (Main)
3 cloves	Cloves (Main)
5 slices	Sourdough bread, thick slices of dry or stale bread (ours was dried in a moderate oven) enough to make approximately 1½ cups fresh breadcrumbs (Main)
50 g	Butter
1 splash	Cream
1 sprinkle	Grated nutmeg, or a little grated lemon zest to garnish

Directions

To a saucepan add milk, onion and spices. Gently heat the milk until it's almost boiling, then remove from heat, cover and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, blitz bread to make approx. 1½ cups of fresh breadcrumbs.
Strain and reheat milk, then stir in breadcrumbs a little at a time, to incorporate into a wet porridge-like consistency. Season with salt. Stir in butter and a little fresh cream to desired consistency. Garnish with grated nutmeg or a little lemon zest.