butter
45g/1½oz plain flour
600ml/20fl oz milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook gently for 2 minutes, stirring, until bubbling. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk. Return to a moderate heat and bring to the boil, stirring continuously, and cook gently for about 3 minutes. Add seasoning to taste and serve.
For a cheese sauce – add 125g/4oz grated mature Cheddar and ¼ tsp dry mustard powder.
For a herb sauce – add 4 Tbsp assorted finely chopped herbs, such as parsley, chives or sage.
Quick classic tomato sauce
3 Tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp caster sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
½ tsp crushed black pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (optional)
Makes 500ml/18fl oz
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl or measuring jug and use immediately, or cover and either refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze.
Basic crêpe batter
125g/4oz plain flour
30g/1oz caster sugar (optional)
1 pinch salt
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
300ml/10fl oz milk
75g/2oz unsalted butter, melted
Makes 12 crêpes
Combine the flour, sugar, if using, and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs then add the extra yolks. Add half the milk and gradually work into the flour using a whisk. Beat lightly until smooth, taking care not to over-mix.
Add the remaining milk gradually, whisking gently until well combined. Transfer to a jug, cover loosely and leave in a cool place for 30 minutes. Stir 60g/2oz melted butter into the batter before using.
Lightly brush a small frying pan – 15cm/6 in diameter base – with a little of the remaining butter and heat until hot. Holding the pan, pour in about 50ml/2fl oz batter and tilt the pan from side to side so that it runs into a thin, even layer across the bottom of the pan.
Place the pan over moderate heat and cook for about 1 minute, or until the crêpe browns around the edges and begins to curl away from the pan. Slide a palette knife under the crêpe and flip it over. Brown the underside for a further minute.
Turn out on to a wire rack lined with a clean tea towel and baking parchment. Fold the paper and towel over the crêpe to keep it moist. Continue to make a further 11 crêpes, brushing the pan with melted butter as necessary, gently stirring the batter each time it is used, and stacking the cooked crêpes between sheets of parchment, until you are ready to serve.
Basic pancake batter
125g/4oz plain flour
1 pinch salt
1 egg
300ml/10fl oz milk
Vegetable oil
Makes 8 pancakes
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl, make a well in the centre and break in the egg. Add half the milk and gradually work into the flour using a whisk. Beat lightly until well combined and smooth. Add the remaining milk gradually, whisking gently until the batter has the consistency of pouring cream. Transfer to a jug, cover loosely and leave in a cool place for 30 minutes. Never leave the batter longer than 1 hour, unless covered and refrigerated, otherwise it will start to ferment.
Lightly brush a medium frying pan – 20cm/8in diameter base – with vegetable oil and heat until hot. Pour away any excess oil – the pan should be practically dry. Holding the pan, pour in about 4 Tbsp batter into the middle of the pan then tilt the pan from side to side so the batter runs into a thin, even layer across the bottom of the pan.
Place the pan over moderate heat and cook for about 1½ minutes, or until the pancake browns around the edges and begins to curl away from the pan. Slide a palette knife under the pancake and flip it over. Brown the underside of the pancake for a further minute.
Turn the pancake out on to a wire rack lined with a clean tea towel and baking parchment. Fold the paper and towel over the pancake to keep it moist. Continue to make a further 7 pancakes, re-oiling the pan as necessary, and stacking the cooked pancakes between sheets of parchment, until you are ready to serve. Pancakes will keep warm like this while you cook the remaining batter, but if you want to keep them warm for longer, transfer them, still layered up, to a heatproof plate, cover with foil and place over a pan of gently simmering water or in the oven at a low (keep warm) setting.
Basic waffle batter
250g/8oz plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
30g/1oz caster sugar (optional)
1 egg, separated
300ml/10fl oz milk
30g/1oz unsalted butter, melted
Makes 12 waffles
Prepare and preheat the waffle irons or waffle machine as directed. Combine the flour with the bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar, if using, in a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg yolk and milk, and gradually work into the flour using a whisk. Beat gently until smooth. Carefully stir in the melted butter.
In a grease-free bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff and carefully fold into the batter using a large metal spoon.
Pour over enough batter, to ensure that the moulded surface of the lower plates are covered sufficiently (for an electric plate you will need about 3 Tbsp for each plate). Close the irons or lid and cook until the waffles are just brown on the outside, about 3 minutes.
When the waffles are ready, remove them with a twopronged fork or a wooden skewer, taking care not to scratch the non-stick coating. Place on a wire rack lined with a clean tea towel and baking parchment. Fold the paper and towel over the waffle to keep it moist. Continue to make waffles, about 12 in total, stacking the cooked waffles between sheets of parchment, until you are ready to serve.
Blueberry
