Cut the aubergines in half widthways, then cut each half into 7cm x 2cm batons. Put these in a large bowl with a teaspoon of salt, then transfer to a steaming basket (or a colander that will sit over a large saucepan) and set aside. All of our whisks, no matter their size or features, are made from high-quality, lightweight material making them both reliable and easy to wield. Most are dishwasher safe too, to make sure clean-up is as simple as possible. Yotam Ottolenghi’s steamed banana sponge with anise butter syrup and salted peanuts. Photograph: Louise Hagger/The Guardian Optional: Cheese, if you want to turn the basic white sauce into a Mornay sauce. I like using a combination of sharp cheddar and Parmesan cheese but gruyere, gouda, etc will all work. Fill a large saucepan or steamer with enough water to come 4cm up the sides, then bring it to a boil. Place the aubergine basket (or colander) on top of the pan of boiling water, cover to prevent the steam escaping, then turn down the heat to medium and leave to steam for 20 minutes, or until the aubergines are very soft but still hold their shape. Lift the basket (or colander) off the pan, transfer to the sink, uncover and leave to drain for five minutes. Set the basket (or colander) over a large bowl and leave to cool to room temperature.

Rayu is a Japanese chilli oil, and this version features cashew nuts and shichimi togarashi, a Japanese chilli blend made up of seven essential spices and seasonings – look for it on the world food aisle of large supermarkets. Make double the amount of rayu, if you like: it will keep in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to 10 days, and is a lovely condiment to have to hand for spooning over crisp fried eggs or stirred through greens. Note: It's essential that you use a whisk to make this sauce. If you use a spoon the sauce may end up a little lumpy. Keep in touch! Flat: Also known as a "roux whisk" - a name that defines its purpose. These are designed for sliding around the edges of a saucepan while incorporating flour into liquid to make a roux or gravy.Use a French whisk for: Salad dressing and just about any sauce. The dense wires excel at whipping air into eggs, as in this pro technique for making fluffy omelets. My recipe for this sauce is based on the traditional Beurre Blanc sauce that combines butter with either vinegar or a wine reduction. This creamy spinach mac and cheese is a good example of how other ingredients can affect the appearance of this white pasta sauce. You guessed it, it's bright green!

Put the eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, then beat on medium-high speed for 10 minutes, until fluffy and doubled in size. With the whisk still going, slowly pour in the milk, then whisk for another 30 or so seconds, until it’s fully incorporated.

Milk – Use whole milk (full-fat milk), making this lemon butter sauce rich and creamy. Do not use skim milk or low-fat milk. They won’t give you the same delicious result. Silicone is a wonder material that’s transforming our kitchens and kitchen implements. It is soft yet heat-resistant, gentle yet durable, and is used in more and more kitchen tools and appliances, including whisks. This post contains step by step instructions for making a 3-ingredient simple white sauce. Use it as a base for other sauces, in casseroles, stews, mac and cheese and much more. The post provides links to easy white sauce recipes.

Half-fill a saucepan with water, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to medium-high. Pour the batter on top of the bananas in the tin, then put it in a steamer basket. Put the basket on top of the pan, cover with a tea towel and then the lid, and steam for 35 minutes. Basically, a little Hollandaise Sauce will fancy up anything.It’s like putting on your favourite sparkly earrings when you’ve thrown on whatever – it’ll bring instant bling to even your daggiest outfit! – Nagi xCook on medium heat until the mixture is reduced to half, stirring frequently. It should take 10-12 minutes. Some whisks can do even more, like our Dreamfarm Flisk 3-in-1 Whisk. With a twist of the handle, it can switch between a balloon whisk, a sauce whisk for liquids and a flat whisk for deglazing. See, we told you there’s more to whisks than meets the eye… Mini whisks

This fish mornay is a comforting family meal that is really simple to make and is totally budget friendly. Egg yolks– from 3 large eggs (and sold labelled as “large” at grocery stores), each egg weighing 55 – 60g / 2 oz. Even larger eggs will also work just fine. Smaller eggs may NOT work because there’s not enough yolks to emulsify the butter quantity. You need around 55g/1.9 oz yolks total – if you’re quite short of this, then add more egg yolk (whisk an extra yolk to break it up and pour in amount required). The typical composition of an egg is 60% whites, 30% yolk and 10% shell – do the maths! It's really important to dry the fish thoroughly before and after it has been cut, as it is normally frozen with water. Otherwise the water is released when it's cooked and this will thin the sauce.

Consistency of white sauce

Now for the pork filling. Put the lardons and two tablespoons of olive oil in a food processor and blitz smooth. In a small bowl, combine the reserved mushroom soaking liquor, the vinegar, ginger, cornflour, pepper, sesame oil, sugar and half a teaspoon of salt, then tip into the food processor, add the pork mince and blitz for two minutes, to make a paste. Scrape into a bowl, add the crisp shiitake, spring onions and green beans, and stir with a wooden spoon for a minute or two, until the mixture starts to form strands. To reheat - cover with foil and heat in the oven at 180 C / 350 F / 160 FAN / Gas 4 until fully heated through. Hollandaise is best served warm or at room temperature, and is a pain to reheat (because you have to be so careful not to cook the eggs). Warmer yolks = warmer sauce.