Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatic Infusion
- 500 ml whole milk
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 6 whole cloves
- 6 black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
- 1 mace blade
Sauce Base and Finishing
- 100 g white bread, stale, crusts removed, torn into coarse chunks
- 30 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 45 ml heavy cream
- 2 g salt
- 1 g nutmeg, freshly grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Press the whole cloves firmly into the rounded sides of the peeled onion halves.
Place the whole milk, clove-studded onion halves, black peppercorns, bay leaf, and mace blade into a small saucepan. Place over medium heat until it just reaches a gentle simmer at around 85 degrees Celsius or 185 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not let it boil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat immediately. Cover with a lid and leave the aromatics to infuse into the milk for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and strain the infused milk through a fine mesh strainer into a clean jug or bowl. Discard the onion, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf, and mace. Pour the strained milk back into the saucepan.
Return the saucepan to low heat. Add the torn stale bread. Simmer very gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bread has broken down and thickened the milk into a porridge-like consistency.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the unsalted butter, heavy cream, salt, and freshly grated nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve warm.
Chef's Notes
- For the best texture, use a decent quality white loaf like a bloomer or mild sourdough, and ensure it is a couple of days old so it can properly absorb the milk without turning to glue.
- Tearing the bread into coarse chunks rather than using fine, sand-like breadcrumbs provides the classic rustic and slightly lumpy texture characteristic of traditional bread sauce.
- If you are short on time, you can reduce the steeping process to 15 minutes, but the flavor will not be quite as deep and rounded.
- This sauce can easily be made up to three days in advance. In fact, resting in the fridge often improves and deepens the flavors further.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Press plastic wrap directly to the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Freezer: 1 month — May separate slightly upon thawing. Whisk vigorously over low heat to bring back together.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, adding a splash of milk if it has thickened too much.
