This bread sauce has flavour layered up from the very start ,with almost-melting shallots, herbs and spices
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 10 shallots, finely sliced (see tip, below)
- 6 cloves
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf, plus extra to serve
- 600ml full-fat milk
- pinch white pepper
- 100g fresh white breadcrumbs, from a good-quality loaf
- 5 tbsp single or double cream, plus more to serve, if you like
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
Method
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Heat the butter and oil in a pan, then add the shallots, cloves, thyme and bay and cook very, very gently for 15 mins until soft, translucent and pale golden.
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Remove the cloves, add the milk and pepper, then bring to a gentle simmer for 10 mins. Stir in the breadcrumbs, give it another 5 mins or so over a very low heat until the bread has plumped up nicely, then stir in the cream and nutmeg. Fish out the stalks from the thyme – the leaves will have fallen off. Season to taste. To serve, grate over a little more nutmeg, drizzle with a little more cream and decorate with a bay leaf.