Getting Saucy

sexymouse

newlywed wrote:

Is there anything I can use instead of marmite? Oh hates it and won't let me buy it, even though I've tried to assure him you can't taste it in cooking (mum used to add a teaspoon to spag bol).

You could always substitute this for Bovril as long as he's not a vegetarian.

Sarahsaver

Student Sauce

one tin of tomatoes - economy pleeeese!
one onion
one clove of garlic
one stock cube (meat or veg)

CHop it all up and cook it! Can be used for pasta sauce, a base for a chicken casserole or other meat, you can liven it up with herbs or chilli, or add curry powder and you have a very basic curry. Sausages are nice casseroled in this sauce.
As a student (hence the name) I had this on baked potatoes, rice, pasta and now serve it to my kids. At least they will know how to survive on a student budget! You can also vary it by chopping up the onion roughly or small, or blending it. Cooking for at least an hour on a low heat will improve the taste and remove the tinny flavour you can get with tinned toms;)

debtworrier

newlywed wrote:

Is there anything I can use instead of marmite? Oh hates it and won't let me buy it, even though I've tried to assure him you can't taste it in cooking (mum used to add a teaspoon to spag bol).

Vegemite is also yeast extract and is sweeter and less salty than Marmite, so you could try that. Otherwise Bovril or a bit of a stock cube would do, I should think.

Sarahsaver

That sauce ^ used to cook chicken, with mozzarella sliced over the top is absolutely delicious;)

morganb

newlywed wrote:

Is there anything I can use instead of marmite? Oh hates it and won't let me buy it, even though I've tried to assure him you can't taste it in cooking (mum used to add a teaspoon to spag bol).

What about worcestershire sauce? This is my secret ingredient to Spag Bol (not so much of a secret now, admittedly!)

debtworrier

morganb wrote: »

What about worcestershire sauce? This is my secret ingredient to Spag Bol (not so much of a secret now, admittedly!)

That's the same as Lee & Perrins - I just can't spell Worcesershestershire.

sianb84

anyone know how to make a butter sauce for fish pie?

debtworrier

sianb84 wrote: »

anyone know how to make a butter sauce for fish pie?

I've always just made a roux and bunged parsley in. I find half a pint of sauce is about right for one portion for me if it's going to be the entirety of the meal, like macaroni cheese, so scale appropriately if you're going to serve with loadsa veg, spuds, etc.

This sounds like a lot of fuss, but once you get the hang of it you can knock it up in five minutes (though it'll need to cook for another five mins or so before you can eat it.)


Basic White Sauce.
1 dessert spoonful of flour (any type)
2 knobs of butter or marg, about as big as the top joint of your thumb.
(not the low-fat kind, that's got too much water in it.)
half a pint of milk (any type).

Put the milk on to warm in a separate saucepan, ideally a saucepan with a lip, so that it's easy to pour. You can use cold milk, but you have to be more patient when making the sauce.

Put the flour and the marg in a saucepan over a low heat and stir with a wooden spoon, mixing the flour and marg together as it melts. Once the marg has melted and it's all mixed together, add about a dessert spoonful of warm milk to the mix.

If you're using cold milk, you have to wait and let the tablespoon of milk warm up in the saucepan. If you try to mix it in while the milk is cold, then your sauce will get lumpy.

Once the milk (cold or warm) bubbles, mix it into the flour and marg paste, stirring vigorously. Once it's mixed in, add another dessert spoonful of milk and wait for it to bubble before mixing that in. The texture of the flour and marg paste will change, becoming more dough-like. (The amount of milk isn't crucial, I'm just trying to give you an idea of the quantity - think of it as a "small splash.") Once you've added a couple more small splashes of milk this way, you can add larger amounts of milk (i.e. a "small glug" ) each time, but always wait for the milk you've added to bubble before trying to stir it in.

If you do get lumps in the sauce, take the saucepan off the heat and beat the sauce vigorously - the lumps will usually go. Be aware that the reason for the lumps is that you tried to add too much milk and mix it in before it was warm enough - so slow down.

Once you've added all the milk, you now have "white sauce"! It needs to cook for about another 5-10 minutes to get rid of the floury taste, but now is the point where you add any flavouring (such as chopped parsley, or grated cheese or whatever) and season to taste. If it's going to be used as part of a dish that's going to get more cooking then you don't need to worry about cooking it more in the saucepan.

If you're making a cheese sauce: make the sauce up a bit stiffer than you want, because the melted cheese will thin the sauce a bit. A teaspoonful of dry mustard powder is nice, and I like adding roasted peanuts (with the salt rinsed off) for a nice crunch which adds interest to macaroni cheese.

If you're making a fish pie, poach the fish in milk and then use that liquor to make the sauce. Add chopped parsley at the end.

Add grated nutmeg and another knob of butter (has to be butter at this point for the flavour) and pour over a poached egg - either on toast or on a bed of steamed spinach - for a filling tea.

Lastly - in the event of a store cupboard emergency, you can make this sauce with oil instead of marg, substituting two dessert spoonfuls of oil for the two knobs of marg above, but you have to mix the flour and oil together cold, and then heat it gently in the saucepan, stirring all the time to stop it burning. It obviously won't taste buttery, so you'll need to add interest with extra seasoning or spices or something.

sianb84

sorry i hate parsley sauce hence why i need a butter one for fish pie thanks anyway.