[blush] Can anyone tell me how to make a cheese sauce?

[foosfan]

Im know I should be ashamed and I am!!
Im new to this cooking lark as have always had work as an excuse to be a lazy moo and get "quick" food in.
Apart from using a cheese sauce packet mix which is mank my only try at cheese sauce ended up as a huge wobbly lump that actually grew up and out of the saucepan!!
Id like to get into cooking to be able to feed my new baby properly(husband prob wont complain either!)
Bit intimidated by all you Nigella types out there and think I need a simpler starting point...think cooking with mother!!

ok

tbsp butter (nice big lump) in a pan (margarine will do too)

melt it

tbsp flour sprinkle on top and stir with wooden spoon .. will form a clump .. stir it off the heat for about a minute

slowly add milk .. say about 1/2 pint .. you addd a bit then stir till the flour/butter mixture (a roue) soaks it up .. then do it again .. if you get lumps keep stirring

keep stirring all the milk in .. it should feel thicker than milk

then stir in grated cheese

taste it

if its cheesy enough .. its done

Same as Twig said but I like to add a bit of mustard too.

or... if you can't be bothered with that roue stuff and you don't mind cholesteral - you can slowly heat cream till it's hot, then add grated cheese.

Thanks!
Think I used self raising flour last time, that might be where I went wrong!
Now I can attempt a fish pie hurrah.
Will post again if we are still alive later!

I make different cheese sauces for different sorts of food ,but i nearly always put a teaspoon of mustard in too because it does give it extra depth.

My easiest cheese sauce that I use over pasta or rice is to melt a tub of philadelphia in a non-stick sauce pan ,stir in grated mature cheddar and a teaspoon of french mustard.

i also do the roux based one like twiglett ,but find it easier to use a whisk instead of a wooden spoon.

i do one using cornflour for lasagne because its a bit lighter

I use Squonk's method for fish pie - use the water that you've poached the fish in, add some double cream etc etc.

Mmmm cream like the sound of that!
Well it cant be fattening as its homemade and therefore must be good for you!
Ive even brought a pinny thats how seriously Im taking this...hubbys going to think hes come home to the wrong house.
If arse looked like it did 5 years ago would consider doing a "naked chef"!

If you use cornflour it is less likely to go lumpy for some reason. I don't melt the butter ,add flour then milk gradually- I bung it all in a pan and cook it really slowly, stirring regularly, and it always comes out perfectly. I often have a little moment of doubt when I think it isn't going to thicken but it always has (and I make it at least once a week)

STOP

fish pie white sauce .. no to cheese .. euwwww

what you do is poach your fish in milk with peppercorns, chopped onion and a bay leaf (bring to boil then simmer for about 20 mins .. remove the fish KEEP THE LIQUID and sieve it

then you use the fish milk in the white sauce (steps as before .. no cheese though)

flake the fish, add some frozen veg .. mix the sauce into it .. mash potato and grate cheese on top

Twig is clearly an instinctive experienced super-chef ... I've had to work on this, so here are my more plodding instructions.

1. Put pan on low heat.
2. Put tablespoonful of butter in to melt.
3. Once melted, turn heat up a bit (to medium-low) & put in two tablespoonfuls of flour. Stir round & round with a wooden spoon - it'll go into a sort of thick brown wallpaper-paste, which is good. Keep stirring for two minutes. (You want the flour to cook a bit & be nice & hot & ready to swell when you put the milk in.)
4. Turn heat up some more, to medium. Put half a pint of milk in a measuring jug. From that, slosh in about half a cupful & stir round & round for about half a minute. It'll be quickly absorbed into the wallpaper paste, which (weirdly) will then look thicker & drier than it did before. This is good.
5. Keep sloshing in the half-cupfuls, and stirring to absorb; gradually it'll become nice thick liquid instead of paste. Stir each slosh until it's well-absorbed & the sauce is hot again (again, about half a minute per slosh will keep it hot).
6. Once all the milk's in, let it come to a gentle boil & simmer for two minutes. Good idea to keep stirring through this bit so you don't get sticky burnt bits at the bottom.
7. Once you've done the two-minute simmer, take the pan off the heat & stir in a good handful (or two) of grated cheese. It will melt quickly & be all gorgeous and glossy.

And re fish pie - agree - don't put cheese in the sauce. Put it on top of the mashed potato topping instead. Yum.

and for the fish .. I'd go for a nice meaty white fish (like cod, hake) and a smoked haddock (which is yellow) .. and when I add mixed frozen veg (you know the peas, carrots, beans type) I'd throw in a load of frozen prawns too

Sorry if I am stating the obvious here but do all the stirring with a whisk, gets rid of any lumps, much better than a fork or spoon.

I love cheese and could eat anything covered in cheese sauce but ok guys I'll bow to your expertise and just put the cheese on top of the spud!
Bugger hubbys just pulled up outside...why do they always come home early just when you dont want them to?!
Will post fish pie results tomorrow, I know you'll all wait with baited (har har geddit?)breath!

If you use hot milk then it shouldn't have lumps (theoretically of course)

I love cheese too .. but if you pay a fortune on fish you want to be able to taste it

(bink .. am not .. but am unfeasibly old)