Basics: Roux sauce

A Roux sauce, (pronounced Roo) is the basis for a great deal of cooking.  It involves cooking equal amounts of fat and flour, and  adding liquid to create a sauce, it is also used to thicken liquids.

Melt 1oz (28g) of Flora in a non-stick pan, add 1oz (28g) flour and stir to a paste over the heat to cook the flour.  Remove the pan from the heat, stir in one pint (568mls) of milk a little at a time  keeping the liquid moving all the time to prevent it forming lumps, remember to scrape it away from the sides of the pan, keep blending the milk into the mixture as you go to ensure that you get a smooth sauce.  Return the pan to the heat, bring to the boil and then turn off the heat.   If you do get lumps in your sauce don't panic, using a balloon whisk beat the sauce until it is smooth and lump free.  The consistency should be pourable.
This gives you a basic white sauce,  to make cheese sauce  removed the pan from the head and add some grated cheese and beat in well.  (By the way if you make any sauce and have to leave it to stand for a while it will form a skin but again don't worry just whisk it)

Brown Roux Sauce  this works in the same way as the white sauce but uses stock or water instead of milk.  I use it a lot when using up left over cooked chicken or ham to make a pie.  I fry some onions, mushrooms and the meat in Flora or oil and Flora mixed, then sprinkle the flour over them,  then I add the stock and stir until it is thickened.  This method is used to provide a thickened sauce in casseroles, stews and of course Spaghetti bolognaise.

There is one other way to make a white sauce, usually used for sweet sauces, like the rum sauce for Christmas pudding.
1 oz  (28g)  cornflour
1oz (28g) sugar
1 pint (568ml) of milk
Put the cornflour & sugar in a  basin and add  2 or 3 tablespoons of the milk, stir to a smooth paste.
Put the remaining milk in a pan and bring to the boil.  When it is boiling pour onto the cornflour mix stirring as you do it.  Return to the pan and bring back to the boil stirring all the time.  (When making Rum sauce I pour a couple of tablespoons of rum into the pan first and bring it to the boil before adding the milk.  Boiling will reduce the amount of rum in the pan as the alcohol evaporates but will concentrate the flavour.)