I love gravy! A plate of roast beef with mashed potatoes smothered in rich, flavorful gravy is soul-satisfying. Sopping it up with a piece of bread is even better. I might have even licked a gravy laden plate clean once or twice in my lifetime. But gravy doesn’t have to be relegated to Sunday supper nor does it need to be meat-based either. Instead, it can be used in a variety of applications and is the foundation for many dishes from chicken marsala to beef stroganoff.
This gravy delivers big mushroom flavor. The not-so-secret ingredient is dried porcini mushrooms which add a complex and earthy flavor to the broth used for the gravy base. Dried porcinis are sold as a powder or whole. If you can’t find the powdered form, whole dried mushrooms will work too. I use a small coffee grinder as a dedicated spice grinder and this works perfect for converting the dried mushrooms into a powder. The addition of soy and worchestershire sauces also enhance the mushroom flavor.
The recipe yields a decent amount of gravy, about 4 1/2 cups in total. We have a four-person family, so I’ll make a full batch and freeze half for another time. Serve the gravy as a side with mashed potatoes or noodles, or use it over meat such as pan-fried chicken or salsbury steak. Stay tuned as I’ll have additional recipe ideas using this gravy recipe in the coming weeks.
Mushroom Gravy
About 4½ cups
10 minutes
20 minutes
30 minutes
This flavorful gravy is fortified by the addition of dried porcini mushroom powder which adds a deep earthy mushroom flavor. Any variety of wild mushrooms can be substituted.
Author: David Moser / Recipe type: Condiment / Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock
- 1 Tablespoon porcini powder
- Trimmed ends from white button and crimini mushrooms
- 2 Tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces crimini mushrooms cleaned and sliced
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms cleaned and sliced
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup minced shallots
- 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
Make the mushroom broth
- In a 2½ quart saucepan, bring the stock, porcini powder, mushroom trimmings, ketchup, soy and worchestershire sauces and thyme to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat and cover for 15 minutes.
Saute the mushrooms
- Meanwhile, to a preheated large sauté pan add the olive oil and sauté the sliced mushrooms over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir, cooking another 30 to 60 seconds until the garlic is fragrant.
Make the roux
- To a preheated 3½ quart saucepan add the butter and shallots. Stirring frequently cook for 4 minutes. Add the flour, whisking continuously and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
Finish the sauce
- Pass the mushroom broth though a fine mesh strainer and whisk the liquid into the pot with the roux. Add the sautéed mushrooms and bring to a boil over medium high heat until the gravy thickens. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.