Skip to main content

Mushroom Gravy

Maybe one day I'll buy a gravy boat.

This stuff is pure gold. I think I found this recipe the very first time I prepared Thanksgiving dinner, in college. It's the only Thanksgiving recipe I've kept from year to year. Everyone who's tried it has loved it (or at least pretended to), and many have asked for the recipe and/or asked me to make it again. Seriously, if you have any interest whatsoever in mushroom gravy, look no further. This is your recipe.

I usually use a combination of white and cremini mushrooms. The original recipe suggests using a mixture of exotic mushrooms. I've tried various sorts over the years and they're good, but it's also so good with your standard (cheap) mushrooms that I don't think it's necessary to splurge on the mushrooms. The only kind I haven't liked in it were shiitakes. They were too tough and stayed chewy in the final product. 

Not quite doubled, but these quantities are slightly more generous than the recipe calls for.

When the balsamic vinegar and red wine start reducing, your nose will be in heaven.

This gravy is excellent on your Thanksgiving standards. It is great over open-faced baked tofu or turkey sandwiches with swiss cheese melted on top. (These were my efforts to recreate the "Turkey Mushroom Madness" from the Autumn Cafe in Oneonta, NY, which I used to frequent as a counselor at music camp. It did the trick.) It is great heated and poured into the center of a bowl of hummus, and then eaten with pita. I have also thinned the leftovers with vegetable stock and made it into a pasta sauce for gnocchi, and I think it could be repurposed into a soup if I had the confidence to mess with soup recipes.

Are you convinced yet? If this blog had smell-o-vision, you would be on your way to the store to get mushrooms by now.


The Recipe:
1 pound mixed mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tb butter
1 onion, chopped
1 tb soy sauce
1/2 c dry red wine
1 tb balsamic vinegar
1 tb cornstarch dissolved in 1 1/2 cups cold water
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tb parsley, chopped
  • Cook onion and garlic in butter over medium-high heat, stirring, until softened
  • Add mushrooms and soy sauce and cook, stirring, until mushroom liquid has evaporated
  • Add wine and vinegar and boil until liquid has evaporated
  • Add cornstarch mixture and sugar, stirring as it comes to a boil and thickens, about 2 minutes
  • Turn off heat, and add parsley and salt and pepper to taste


The Verdict:
Overall grade: A+
Overall reason: You will want to bottle the aroma. It's like nothing else.
Time to prepare: 1/2 hour
Husband quote: "Yum" (this from the guy who claims not to like mushrooms)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.
2 comments
Read more

Red lentil dal

Cucumber salad is key. This dal is perfect. Most of us took seconds, and I'm really excited to eat the last portion that's sitting in the fridge right now. The accompanying salad is really great for adding texture, crunch, and acidity to the meal. I wouldn't skip it. I got it from  Tea for Turmeric  and prepared it pretty much as written, but doubled and with none of the optional ingredients. This recipe doesn't mention any seasoning/dressing on the salad, but adding lemon and salt to it really brightened things up. The Recipe: (from Tea for Turmeric) 2 c red lentils splash of avocado oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 small onions, finely chopped 1 inch ginger, grated 4 small tomatoes, chopped 2 thai chilies, minced 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp turmeric 2+ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 c cilantro, chopped For serving: basmati rice and plain yogurt Salad ingredients: 1/2 english cucumber, sliced 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/4 onion, slic...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vietnamese Curry Stir-Fry

  When I get the recipe just right, I'll go to the effort of adding fried shallots on top. I'm back to my on-and-off mission of trying to make a stir-fry as delicious as the shrimp I used to get at  Pho Grand  in St. Louis during college. It was called "cari tom" but it definitely wasn't a coconut milk type of curry, and they ALSO have a separate listing on their menu for "cari tom dac biet" which includes "coconut milk sauce" in their description. So I'm pretty sure it was just a stir-fry that had curry flavors in it? I got myself a big container of Vietnamese curry powder and I'm going to keep experimenting. This is the closest I've come so far. Changes for the future: - More oil and sugar, restaurant style - A blend of fish sauce and soy sauce, instead of just soy sauce - Fried shallots on top The Recipe (adapted from  Veggie Anh ): 3 tb fresh lemongrass, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Thai chili, minced 1 pinch salt 2 tb avoc...
Post a Comment
Read more