Faux Gravy

Some time ago I bragged all over the place about my homemade gravy.  Delicious, yes, but sometimes you don't want to go for the real thing.  Maybe you need something quick.  Maybe you're trying to cut back on fat and calories.  At times like that I fall back on a gravy-like sauce I make from vegetables.

I know!  That sounds super NOT THAT DELICIOUS!  But trust me.  It's good.


Here's the step by step:

1.  Caramelize some onions and a few other vegetables. 

What kind of vegetables?  It just depends on the type of flavor you are going for.  Mushrooms are earthy and umami.  Carrots add a touch of sweetness.  Use what you like.  Don't forget to season them with some salt and maybe a little of your favorite dried herbs.

Caramelize them how?  You can cook them at medium-high heat in a skillet on top of your stove.  You can roast them in a 400F oven for 30 minutes or so.  You want the veggies to be cooked through, and nicely browned, but not burnt.

2.  Stir in some minced fresh garlic, and cook another minute or two.

The worst thing you can do to garlic is singe it, so leave it until the end to make sure it doesn't overcook.

How do you know when garlic is done?  I tell my kids to use the sniff method:  when it goes from stinky to suddenly smelling like Heaven, it's there.  That does not take long.

3.  Stir in just enough clear liquid to barely cover the cooked vegetables.

What kind of liquid?  I like chicken or beef broth.  If you are a vegetarian, vegetable broth is great.  Water will work, but you'd better hope there is a lot of flavor in the cooked vegetables.  

And not too much.  You don't want to drown the veggies.

4.  After that is heated, (hot, but NOT boiling) transfer the veggie/liquid mix to a large glass measuring cup or mixing bowl and blend smooth with a stick blender.

You can just as easily use a food processor or blender, but I keep telling you -- you've got to get a stick blender.  They are awesome!

5.  Add more liquid as needed to obtain the desired thickness.

 I purposely instructed you to use what will probably be not enough liquid.  If your sauce is too thick, you can always add more broth.  If it's too thin and watery, there is not much you can do - perhaps stir in a little mashed potato or blend in a hard-boiled egg.  It's better just to avoid the error to begin with. 

And that's all there is to it.  It's so easy to do, so quick to whip up, that I forgot to take more photos.  #whoopssorry

Recently I served a mushroom version of my faux gravy with an equally faked sous-vide chicken.  

#nocomplaintswereheard