Grilled salmon

• By Ramona Preca

1200g of salmon, salt and pepper, two tablespoonfuls of garlic, 200ml of white wine.

For the sauce: five tablespoonfuls of butter, four tablespoons of plain flour, four cups of milk, four tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, salt, a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.

Bake the salmon for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to gas mark 5/190C. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until it has melted. Add the flour and stir it until it is smooth. Turn up the heat just a little more, and cook the mixture until it turns a light sandy colour, which takes about seven minutes.

Heat the milk in another pan until it is just about to boil. Do not allow it to reach boiling-point or it will spoil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture a cupful at a time, whisking continuously until the mixture is very smooth and silky. Now bring this to the boil. Turn down the heat and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove the pan from the heat. Season it with salt and nutmeg, and set it aside until you are ready to use it.

Remove the fish from the oven, pour the sauce over it while it is still in the dish, then return it to the oven until the sauce has turned golden.