EASY PEASY MUSHROOM AND ONION GRAVY

You may of noticed the gravy on some of my recipes recently. In my eyes you can't have a Sunday Roast or Bangers and Mash without lashings of mushroom and onion gravy. Now the best chefs out there would tell you that the best gravy uses all the cooking juices from your roasted meat and two veg but not all of us are Michelin star chefs so for those of us who would rather reach for the tub of gravy granules, here is my simple guide for turning a humble vegetable stock into something a little bit more special.

So when it comes to the mushrooms and onions  in this recipe, I have used chestnut and red as they are my favorite varieties. You can use the same or a different type of either if you prefer. It's entirely up to you, this is a highly adaptable recipe that you will alter and perfect to your taste over time.

As for the stock, I have used vegetable stock as I often serve my gravy with vegetarian meals however if your making this gravy to accompany a chicken or beef dish you may wish to use a chicken or beef stock to compliment your protein of choice. With your herbs, fresh is best (make sure you chop them super fine!) but you can use dried variations if you wish, around 1 tsp of each.

Now, Marmite! Yes, people either hate it or love it. I'm not a fan, I would never spread it on toast and eat it however when it comes to this gravy it really does add something special. Give the gravy a go at least once with the marmite before you turn your nose up at it and see if you will be pleasantly surprised too. If you really don't like the marmite then you can leave it out just make sure you season your gravy with a pinch of salt, you don't need to do this if your using the marmite as it's quite salty already.

I like my gravy quite thick hence the heaped tablespoon of flour I add in at the end. Reduce this amount if you prefer yours thinner although you can always adjust the thickness at the end by adding in more flour or water to thicken or thin the gravy as you see fit. Try not to do this too much though as the more you add in at the end, the more flavor you will lose from the gravy. This is something you will prefect for yourself over time the more you make it.

When it come to this recipe, the quality of your gravy will be better the higher the quality of the products you buy to make it. This recipe will make enough gravy for 4 people or 2 people who really like to drown their dinners in the good stuff but you can scale the recipe up or down to suit your requirements on the day as needed.

Mushroom And Onion Gravy

Handfull Chopped Chestnut Mushrooms

1 Chopped Red Onion

1 Grated Clove Of Garlic
1 Tbsp Butter

1 Tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 Finely Chopped Sage Leaf
Finely Chopped Leaves Of 1 Rosemary Sprig

500ml Hot Vegetable Stock
1 Tsp Marmite
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Pepper To Season
1 Heaped Tbsp Plain Flour

1. Begin by frying the mushrooms, onions and garlic in a large sauce pan with the tbsp of butter until the onions begin to soften. Add in the thyme, sage and rosemary leaves and fry for a further minute.
2.  Mix together the stock, marmite and balsamic vinegar in a large jug or bowl until the marmite has dissolved and then add it into the saucepan. Stir everything together until combined and then season with the pepper.
3. Add in the flour and whisk until there are no lumps of flour and the gravy is smooth. Bring the gravy to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for five minutes until the gravy has thickened.

This is the point were you can adjust the thickness of your gravy. Keep the pan on the simmer until the gravy is as thick as you like it but if you go too thick then add a smidge more water to loosen up the gravy, bring it back up to the boil and your done! Decant the gravy out into a jug or gravy boat if your a fancy pants and pouring that delicious sauce all our your mash or roast potatoes. Reserve a little bit of your sausages or have a round of bread at hand to mop up every last drop of your yummy gravy. It's far too good to leave any behind and whats best is that it's so easy peasy to make!