sauces
delia smith

Although the entire art of saucemaking is a vast subject covering many different methods and approaches here we are concerned with flour based sauces which when youve understood the rules and learned how to master them will give you a good grounding in t

More power to your elbow
Im not sure if this old cliche came into being through the subject of sauce making or not but it does say something wise and that is this: when flour fat and liquid are combined and heated they always need extremely vigorous whisking. As I said in the cha

Lumps are a thing of the past
Flour based sauces it has to be admitted have suffered a bad press. I well remember a few years ago Anne Robinson on the BBCs Points Of View programme repeatedly showing a TV chef making a horrible lumpy white sauce in closeup. Yes it was funny because th
In a classic white sauce and all other flour based sauces theres only one rule apart from determined whisking and that is the fat content: its the flour blended with the fat that ensures lump free results so never attempt to blend hot liquid and flour wit
It is all quite straightforward a case of once you understand the rules lumps should never occur. But so what? If you do happen to slip up on the rules or get distracted then dont forget why sieves were invented.
Now lets first have a look at some of the rules. You need to remember the three ways to make a white sauce.

1 The roux method
Roux is the name given to the mixture of butter and flour that forms the basis of the classic white sauce called bcchamel. The butter is melted in the pan the flour is then stirred in to make a smooth thick paste and finally the liquid is added a little a

2 The all in one method
If you are using cold liquid you can simply place all the ingredients ie butter flour and liquid in a saucepan and whisk continuously and vigorously over the heat until the heat thickens the sauce. By the time the heat penetrates the butter will have been

3 The fat free no lump flour method
Yes its true. For the first time in history we have an utterly new and quite phenomenal way of making a white sauce which has changed all the rules somewhat. Its with a flour called sauce flour which has been invented by an extremely clever flour miller w
Obviously the richness and flavour of butter is what makes a classic creamy white sauce the star it is but its good to have the choice of not adding butter on occasions and I think this is a huge step forward. You can now make a creamy silky smooth white

Whats the best saucepan?
A vexed question that has occupied me for years. The absolute truth is that a white sauce is probably the very best test of a saucepan. Why? Because what you want is a saucepan in which the sauce wont catch. If it does you will find that as you whisk litt
It provides the perfect pan for making sauces and its not mega expensive. Not particularly glamorous to look at but lightyears ahead of anything else on performance.

How long should you cook a flour based sauce?
When you use flour in a sauce although it will thicken to a smooth creaminess very quickly it then has to be cooked. This is because the flour can at first taste a little raw. Therefore its important to remember that all sauces using flour must have 5 min

Can you make it ahead?
Yes you certainly can but a few things to remember first. When the sauce is made place some clingfilm directly over the surface to prevent a skin from forming then either keep it warm by placing it over a pan of barely simmering water or if you want to ma

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