Foundations Series: Traditional Gravy

Since the idea for this series first came about I knew that sauces were going to be on the list.  I was unsure what kind of sauce would be first, but with Thanksgiving next week a traditional gravy came right to the top of the list.  Gravy, like salad dressing, is one of those things I refuse to buy from the store.  You probably already have all the ingredients to make gravy in your home already and making it homemade means you're cutting out all of the preservatives and extra sodium that you don't need.  Besides that the taste of homemade gravy will outshine the canned any day!  The other great thing about gravy is that you can cook it in the time your meat needs to rest, and cutting into it before it rests is the real reason your turkey is dry.

Making gravy is not complicated, but it should be done with care.  The gravy I'm making here is the most basic gravy, and I will discuss variations along the way.  In it's purest form gravy is roux + stock and drippings.  I will offer that your gravy can be enhanced by bookending those two components with additional flavor.

In this case we will start by sautéing half of a very finely diced onion over medium-low heat until the begin to turn golden with some thyme, which is both my favorite herb and an excellent compliment to poultry like your Thanksgiving turkey.  Variations: chopped mushrooms are a wonderful addition to gravy (especially beef) celery and carrot (in extreme moderation) could also be added to the onions in this stage.

Once the onions start to become golden we will build a the roux.  A roux is a thickening agent made from equal parts fat and flour.  In this case we will use two tablespoons of butter (one of which is already in the pan with the onions, the second you will add now) and two tablespoons of flour.  Sprinkle the flour in one tablespoon at a time while you whisk.  You can use fat from the meat you've roasted instead of butter for a truly delicious roux as well.  Vigorously whisk the roux and cook it until it begins to take a golden color - be very careful not to let the roux burn.

Slowly add two cups of (warm, but not boiling) stock and drippings to the pan - whisking constantly and maybe taking a bad photo of it.  Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a low boil and reduce to a simmer while gravy thickens.  Stir periodically as it simmers.  You can use whatever stock accompanies your meat.  Chicken stock will work perfectly fine with turkey, though you can sometimes find turkey stock this time of year.  I would also argue that a well made vegetable broth will heighten the flavor of a gravy.  I particularly like the organic vegetable broth from Trader Joe's because it has a wonderful leek flavor.  To use pan drippings simple drain the roasting pan into a clear, heat-proof container and wait for the fat to rise to the top.  Skim off the fat and combine drippings with stock.

At this point you have a fully fledged gravy, but you can take the opportunity to add some additional flavor to the gravy.  A tablespoon of alcohol (brandy, cognac, sherry, white wine, etc.) would be a lovely addition, likewise a tablespoon of cream.  Fresh herbs like parsley can also come into play here.  In researching this post I discovered that a chopped hard boiled egg is a popular (Southern?) addition to gravy, and while I can't say I'm planning on trying this I can see where they're coming from.  In beef gravy I'm partial to sour cream and dijon mustard stirred in at this point.  This would also be the time to add cooked and finely chopped giblets - a contentious ingredient to be sure.  I'm a fan of giblets because even though they look gross and are stuffed in a bird cavity they are full of flavor and are actually super vitamin rich.  To cook, cover them in water and boil away.  Pull the neck meat from the bone and chop everything finely to add to gravy.  

Special thanks to Pattie for answering the frantic GroupMe message and lending me her gravy boat.  May you all enjoy this gravy with those you care about this Thanksgiving!

Traditional Gravy

Ingredients

• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• 2 1/2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 2 cups chicken (or appropriate meat) stock

Instructions

1. Finely dice half of a yellow onion
2. Sautee onion in 1.5 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat
3. When onion begins to brown add 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
4. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, allow to melt and sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of flour, whisking vigorously
5. When roux has begun to color, add 2 cups of warm chicken stock, and whisk continuously until mixture comes to a low boil
6. Reduce to a simmer, season with black pepper, and add any additional flavor components.

Foundations Series: Roasting Part I

I'm excited to be kicking off my Foundations Series with a technique that I use almost weekly - roasting!  This edition will focus on roasting vegetables and Part II will be about roasting a chicken.  I used asparagus as an example, but potatoes would be a classic application of this technique.  I also love to roast squash, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and fennel.  Roasting is a great way to add flavor to your vegetables because they become brown, carmelized  and full of flavor.  And as our friend Anne Burrell would remind us - brown food is tasty food.

The method is quite simple.  Crank your oven up to 450 degrees while you prep the vegetables.  All of the vegetables should be approximately the same size.  Asparagus can remain whole, but vegetables like mushrooms and potatoes should be halved, quartered, or largely chopped to be about the same size.  When roasting potatoes I particularly enjoy using new or fingerling potatoes since they are already small and have a deliciously tender skin.  For most things I like a larger size for roasting, but I will sometimes roast a small dice of sweet potatoes for a lovely sweet potato hash brown.

Let's discuss seasoning for a moment.  At the most basic level roasting necessitates olive oil, salt, and pepper.  I like to use a flakey sea salt for the flavor of larger crystals when I roast, but plain table salt will work just fine.  Other seasoning can work too.  I like to add cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon to sweet potatoes.  Garlic and herbs are often appropriate for potatoes and mushrooms.  Woody herbs like thyme are rosemary are fine to roast in the oven but more delicate herbs like basil should be tossed with the hot vegetables after roasting.  Lemon zest is also a great ingredient to toss in after roasting - especially with asparagus.  

Once consideration for seasoning have been made toss the vegetable with seasoning, salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Take care to coat the the vegetables with olive oil, but don't put too much on.  You want the pan to be dry enough get a good brown on the vegetables.  Put the foil lined pan of vegetables on the bottom rack of the oven so it is closest to the heating element and cook for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through for even browning. (Asparagus might take closer to 20 minutes - keep an eye on them!)

Quick Dinner: Rigatoni with Sausage, Mushrooms, and Spinach in a Pink Sauce

There’s something about a pink sauce… The tangy, acidic tomato combined with the rich and silky cream is so luxurious.  The smooth sauce finishes with a wonderful heat that cuts through the richness and rounds out the flavor.  Needless to say, pink sauce is a big part of my life.

This recipe is an expansion on a recipe I’ve been making forever.  One day I was making the pink sauce with sausage when my roommate Christine said, “That reminds me of something I make with mushrooms and spinach.”  I thought, “Wow, that sounds even better than the original recipe” so I decided to try it out.  This also contributes to my general food philosophy, which is “more vegetables are more good.”  And yeah, I guess the heavy cream in this recipe also contributes to my overall philosophy of moderation.  Vegetables are good, and so is cream (sometimes).  The other great thing about this dinner is that it’s quick!  It took me 45 minutes from filling the pot with water to sitting down and eating this while watching The Borgias on Netflix.  It’s not necessarily the meal for a night when you have a late meeting, but it’s definitely an achievable weekday dinner.

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepping the mushrooms.  There is this big urban myth that you can't wash mushrooms, and I'm here to tell you that it's just not true.  Alton Brown agrees, and made a point to mention it during his live show in Athens a couple of weeks ago.  Gone are the days of delicately brushing each mushroom with a little brush - you're welcome.  I like to put a colander in the sink and run a steady, but not too powerful, stream of cold water outside of the colander.  I quickly wash each mushroom so there is no visible dirt and place in the colander.  Place the colander next to the cutting board and trim the woody end of each stem (but don't remove the stem completely) and slice. One more quick note about mushrooms: you could use regular white button mushrooms here, but the cremini (or "baby bella") mushrooms have a more robust flavor and firmer texture that I especially appreciate for Italian dishes.

Once the mushrooms are prepped remove the sausage from the casing and brown in a little olive oil over medium heat.  Break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces as you cook and be careful to stir frequently so they do not burn.  Once fully cooked, remove the sausage from the pan and add the mushrooms, crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and salt and pepper.  Cook the sausage until brown and cooked through before adding the crushed garlic (I use my favorite kitchen tool - a garlic press) and spinach.  Season the spinach with salt and pepper to build well seasoned and even layers of flavor.  Once the spinach wilts return the sausage to the pan and add one 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes and season with a little more salt.  Stir together and add heavy cream and bring to a simmer.  If you didn't want to add the heavy cream (which I'll grudgingly admit is a valid healthier alternative) you can use one 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes and proceed without the cream.

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, turn off the heat and stir until fully combined.  Serve with grated cheese, and maybe garnish with some fresh basil if you're a food blogger or you're planning to put this on Instagram.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Mushrooms, and Spinach in a Pink Sauce

Adapted from Today's Mama, and Christine Licata

Ingredients

• 1 lb. rigatoni (or other tubular pasta)
• 3-4 links of Italian sausage
• 10 oz. cremini mushrooms
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3-4 cups of spinach, chopped
• 14.5 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 1 pt. heavy cream
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp. oregano
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil
2. Wash and slice mushrooms
3. Remove sausage from casings and cook over medium heat until browned.
4. Remove sausage from the pan and add sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper.  Cook until browned and cooked through.
5. Add crushed garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, and chopped spinach to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
6. Once spinach has wilted return the sausage to the pan and add crushed tomatoes.  Season with salt.
7. Once tomatoes begin to simmer add heavy cream and season with black pepper. 
8. Stir to combine until sauce begins to bubble and reduce to a simmer.
9. Once pasta is cooked to al dente drain and add to pan.
10. Serve with grated parmesean or romano cheese.