A lovely accompaniment to a Corned Beef.

Ingredients

• 50 gram butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons grated or very finely chopped onion
• 3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan and add the flour. Cook for 1-2 minutes over a moderate heat, stirring regularly to prevent burning. It is at this stage that you must cook the flour to burst the starch grains so that the sauce will not end up with a raw flour taste.
2. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the milk to make a thin, smooth sauce. Return to the heat, add the onion and stir over a low heat until the sauce has thickened. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the parsley and season with salt and white pepper.

Cooks Tips

- To prevent a skin forming on top, brush a piece of baking paper with butter and sit it buttered-side down on the sauce. Reheat gently. The butter will melt and the paper can be easily lifted off, ensuring no skin. - It is preferable to use white pepper to season, as black pepper in a white sauce looks like a fly has walked all over it!