If you are a vegetarian or they are attending your holiday dinner, why not make a delicious gravy? This meat-free gravy is a hit that will please vegetarians and carnivores alike! Makes approximately 2 quarts of gravy.
Primary Ingredients:
6 cups vegetable stock (if buying prepared broth, get a low-sodium or no-sodium variety)
OR
6 cups water and 2-3 vegetable bullion cubes (no-sodium variety)
1/2 cup good wine (white or red)
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup flour
Optional Seasoning:
Black pepper
Sage
Thyme
Parsley
Tamari (soy) sauce
In a pan, heat the broth and wine on low until warm but not boiling, and maintain the temperature. In a separate sauce pan, make a roux by melting the butter over medium heat. Then add the flour a little at a time. Cook over low heat until the flour is well mixed and toasted and the roux turns golden. It may begin to get stretchy and thick, which is fine.
Remove the roux from the heat for a few seconds and add a few tablespoons of broth. Mix well and return to heat, then repeat this process, mixing well each time. At first the gravy will look like library paste. Again, don’t worry. It is important to add the liquid slowly and mix each addition of broth thoroughly to avoid lumps. Gradually increase the amount of liquid until the desired thickness and consistency is reached, then season to taste with any combination of the optional ingredients.
Leftover gravy can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days and while it congeals when cold, it reheats nicely in the microwave.
And it always goes well with turkey.
