White sauce

25g butter or baking fat/block

25g plain flour

300ml milk

Saucepan, measuring jug, wooden spoon.

1. Melt the butter/baking fat in a saucepan over a medium heat. Pour in the flour off the heat and stir well.  This should make a thick paste.  Cook paste for one minute or until it bubbles.
2. Slowly add a little milk off the heat. Bring to the boil.
3. Add a little more milk off the heat. Bring back to the boil again.
4. Continue to add the milk in this way, making sure the mixture boils each time, until all the milk has been used.
5. Taste and season with pepper if necessary.

• To make a cheese sauce, add 75g grated cheese off the heat once the sauce is cooked. The heat of the sauce will melt the cheese.