Hopping on the gravy train

Posted

So I feel like I’m in that episode where they have the clock in the corner of the screen.

The recipe I have for you, Gentle Reader, is kind of a doozy. It’s my homemade mushroom gravy. It’s not hard, but there are three components and a fair number of ingredients.

But I get a set number of words each week, so there shall be no shilly-shallying on my part.

My dad always made gravy using a corn starch slurry. It works, but doesn’t bring a whole lot of flavor to the party. Plus, it can have an unappealing gelatinous quality When we first were married, I used gravy from a bottle. It had very little flavor, but enough sodium to make Lot’s wife.

So try homemade.

Thanks for your time.

Contact me at dm@bullcity.mom.

Mushroom Gravy

This sauce is infinitely versatile. You can put it on starches, like rice or potatoes. You can throw caution to the wind and make poutine, a Canadian dish comprised of homemade fries covered with a handful of cheese curds, and drenched with lashings of gravy. Use it to make brown meatloaf, in the panade and on top. Brown some cube steak you’ve dusted with flour, then braise them low and slow in the gravy (two hours at 275°). And make one of my favorite dinner dishes — place roast beef on Texas toast and cover with mushroom gravy.

You can reheat it in the microwave, or on the stove. It stores for up to five days in the fridge.

Roux

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

Melt butter in small skillet. Stir in flour. Cook on medium-low until peanut butter-colored (15-20 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

Mushroom Stock

3 cups cold water

Mushroom stems

1.5 ounces dried mushrooms

1.5 teaspoons dry thyme

1/2teaspoon dry rosemary

4 dry bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Put everything into medium saucepan and stir together. Turn burner to medium and cook just until it comes to a boil. Turn off and let cool. Pour over a very fine mesh sieve, pressing down on the solids to get all of the stock. Discard solids. Set stock aside.

The Gravy

1.5 pounds mushrooms, stem removed (keep stems for stock), cleaned and sliced

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon dry thyme

2 large bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3/4 cup sherry

3 cups stock (homemade mushroom, or in a pinch, a chicken or beef good quality store-bought)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon sweetener, honey, maple syrup, jelly or jam - choose a flavor that doesn’t clash with your gravy

Roux

In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven with a lid, melt butter and add mushrooms and onion. Stir in salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover and cook on medium for 8-10 minutes until the liquid has released from the veg, and there’s about an inch or two of liquid in the pot.

Remove lid and turn up to medium-high. Stirring every few minutes, cook until liquid has cooked in and there is caramelization on mushrooms and onions.

Add tomato paste and mix into veg. Allow to cook until the paste has deepened in color and there are lots of brown bits on the bottom.

Pour in sherry and stir in, scraping up the bits. Cook until the wine is almost gone. Stir in the stock, Worcestershire and sweet thing. Taste for seasoning and reseason if needed.

Bring to a low boil and stir in roux, a little at a time until it is your desired thickness.