Am I the only one who CANT make a white sauce???

[Goldmonday]

Anything that required flour butter and milk I fuck up without failure every single time. Can someone please provide me with a good recipe and fool proof method to put an end to my kitchen disasters.

Just keep stirring with a whisk. Don’t stop until you have a smooth sauce and added all of the milk.

It's simple. If I can make it, anyone can. You need to not think about it, I don't even measure. Just put a big chunk of butter in a pan and melt it, and add the same amount of flour, keep stirring so it doesn't stick. Cook it out a bit, add some milk and keep stirring until you get the consistency you like.
People make it sound much harder than it actually is!

Bisto sauces never fail.

And IME almost everyone can't tell the difference.

You have to make sure there is enough butter. If there’s not enough butter to make the flour into a ‘ball’ then the sauce will be all lumpy and awful.

Melt the butter, add the flour before it starts to colour, keep stirring like buggery until the flour cooks off. Add the milk in tiny splashs to start with and keep stirring. The milk can be added quicker as you go. A bit of grated nutmeg at the end is nice. Don't add salt if you are adding cheese. You can taste it afterwards.

Do it in the microwave.
Put 2oz butter, 2oz flour and 1 pint of milk in a bowl.
Microwave for a minute at a time and whisk after each minute.
Takes about 5 or 6 minutes in total.
So easy and works every time.

Once you've tried it in the microwave you'll never faff around on the hob again.

You need a whisk.

I always chuck it all in the pan and just keep whisking. I've been making it like that for probably 30 years and have never had a lumpy one. The one and only Delia taught me there was no need to melt the butter and flour first before putting the milk in. . If it's too thick, I just add more milk.

My tip is make sure you're using a small whisk. At the moment I have one of those ones that you're supposed to use to do frothy coffee I think.

Delia's all in one recipe is foolproof.

LOL @Swedish! And there it is!

Sauce flour helps!

2oz butter inna pan. Heat until melted. 2oz plain flour. Stir until you have a big yellow blob. Add salt and pepper and stir for a minute or two.

Measure out a pint of milk in a jug, and add a tiny bit, stirring until its absorbed, then add a tiny bit more, stir again. Repeat until its runny enough to stir with a whisk, and slowly keep adding the rest of the milk.

Takes 5 mins.

Use a whisk. I tried (and failed) many times until I used a Whisk! Perfect every time now.

Take the pan off the heat before mixing the flour with the melted butter then return to the hob. I have found using a mini whisk v. useful as well

Thank you guys for all the tips!!!! Never heard of the microwave one will defo try that!!!!

Always end up with a butter/floury sticky ball so must not be adding enough butter. Made three attempts tonight until I gave in and bought a packet mix. Just sat down after an hour in the kitchen and blocking the sink up with floury mess.

A whisk like this is excellent for white sauce…

www.goodcookshop.com/dexam-magic-sauce-whisk

@ Maureen

Try delia's all in one recipe it's great

Pretty much any lumpy sauce can be saved if you whisk it for long enough

you can always throw in more butter at any point. As long as you whisk hard you can sort it out.

plenty of butter - make sure it is hot and bubbly, add the flour and cook that out, add milk gradually and always stir. Once its is runny whisk it. Make sure once you have added the milk that you whisk it until its cooks out and thickens. Never leave it though.

I get my daughter to make it now as she just does all the stirring and doesnt leave it

Ha no you’re not! Mine’s always crap and lumpy. It’s meant to be so simple but I find it a right faff. Might try the microwave version too.

Heat the milk in a separate pan and add it hot to the roux. Saves loads of time and makes delicious sauce.

Saw on Masterchef to add hot milk instead of cold. It mixes in so much more smoothly. No more whisking for hours.