Butter-free White Sauce

Not everyone wants to eat butter, for health or other reasons, and most margarines contain the dreaded transfats. But you don't need to do without white sauce as a result. My mother-in-law showed me a brilliant way of making a butter-free white sauce for coating cooked vegetables or fish to make a pie. Heat some grape-seed oil or other light oil like peanut in a small pan, stir in flour until you have a paste, then whisk in milk over the heat until you have a smooth sauce the texture of cream. Season to taste. White pepper is traditional for fish. To improve the flavour, infuse a bay leaf, a thyme sprig and some parsley stalks (and possibly a clove and a little nutmeg) in the heated milk for an hour or so before using it to make the sauce.