a good mash deserves a good gravy
February 25th 2007 03:46
[B]A good mash deserves a good gravy.[/B]
What constitutes a good gravy? To me it has consistency, colour and flavour. It should also have a pleasant aroma.
The drippings in the pan after cooking off a roast is an ideal starting point for gravy and we need a good gravy to go with our roast. All the flavour of the roasting meat is concentrated in the bottom of the pan. I particularly like turkey and goose juices but with goose you must insure that the fat that comes off the goose is primarily used to cook the potatoes in. What a waste if you don’t?
Second best is the juice from a pan cooked steak, rissoles or sausages, roughly in that order.
What to do. Keep the pan hot and add an equal amount of flour to fat in the pan. Stir it into a thick roux (like a paste) Now you have the thick part of the sauce or gravy. Keeping it on the heat, thin it down stirring briskly with a whisk or two forks held with the tines opposing each other. What to add to the roux? It can be milk, cream, stock or plain water. If it is plain water you will get a plain gravy. Lets go the whole hog? Use a rich chicken stock that has come from making one pot soy chicken. (Else where on this blog) Use some brandy and get it hot enough to flame. Don’t set off your smoke alarm! Add cream or sour cream and try for taste. A true sauce chef will use a little silver spoon dangling from his neck on a chain but you might just do a finger dip and taste. Stir vigorously to get rid of the lumps. Don’t move away to answer the phone, blow the kids nose or take a piss. Keep stirring and stirring from the bottom. As the sauce/gravy comes to the boil it is at its thickest. Now is the time to add some big nobs of butter if it is too thin or cheat and use a little milk and flour mixed into a paste. There are many variations on this theme but you should have the picture. If the colour is not quite right you can add Parisienne essence (the only thing I have found you can do with this ingredient). A little vegemite can help colour or even soy sauce if your gravy is not too salty and could do with a dash more salt.
Naturally you will want your own slant on this. Add tomato sauce, hot mustard, beef stock in act anything to give your gravy your individual touch. Don’t mess with it too much though and make sure you make plenty and serve it in a big jug on the table. Heaven with mash.
What constitutes a good gravy? To me it has consistency, colour and flavour. It should also have a pleasant aroma.
The drippings in the pan after cooking off a roast is an ideal starting point for gravy and we need a good gravy to go with our roast. All the flavour of the roasting meat is concentrated in the bottom of the pan. I particularly like turkey and goose juices but with goose you must insure that the fat that comes off the goose is primarily used to cook the potatoes in. What a waste if you don’t?
Second best is the juice from a pan cooked steak, rissoles or sausages, roughly in that order.
What to do. Keep the pan hot and add an equal amount of flour to fat in the pan. Stir it into a thick roux (like a paste) Now you have the thick part of the sauce or gravy. Keeping it on the heat, thin it down stirring briskly with a whisk or two forks held with the tines opposing each other. What to add to the roux? It can be milk, cream, stock or plain water. If it is plain water you will get a plain gravy. Lets go the whole hog? Use a rich chicken stock that has come from making one pot soy chicken. (Else where on this blog) Use some brandy and get it hot enough to flame. Don’t set off your smoke alarm! Add cream or sour cream and try for taste. A true sauce chef will use a little silver spoon dangling from his neck on a chain but you might just do a finger dip and taste. Stir vigorously to get rid of the lumps. Don’t move away to answer the phone, blow the kids nose or take a piss. Keep stirring and stirring from the bottom. As the sauce/gravy comes to the boil it is at its thickest. Now is the time to add some big nobs of butter if it is too thin or cheat and use a little milk and flour mixed into a paste. There are many variations on this theme but you should have the picture. If the colour is not quite right you can add Parisienne essence (the only thing I have found you can do with this ingredient). A little vegemite can help colour or even soy sauce if your gravy is not too salty and could do with a dash more salt.
Naturally you will want your own slant on this. Add tomato sauce, hot mustard, beef stock in act anything to give your gravy your individual touch. Don’t mess with it too much though and make sure you make plenty and serve it in a big jug on the table. Heaven with mash.
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