Bread Sauce

1. Peel the onion and stud it with a few cloves – that way they are easy to retrieve.

2. Put the onion and bay leaf in the milk and heat slowly, below boiling point.

3. Take off the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 20 minutes.

4. Remove the onion and bay leaf, then tear the bread into small pieces and stir it into the milk.

5. Cook gently for 5-8 minutes, stirring, until the bread breaks down and the sauce thickens.

6. Stir in the butter and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Tip: The traditional accompaniment to the English Christmas turkey, with medieval origins. It sounds odd, but bread steeped in spiced milk turns into a silky, creamy sauce.