Mushroom Gravy

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

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.