LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2017

BY LUCY WAVERMAN  •  PHOTOGRAPHY BY VINCE NOGUCHI KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

People are often intimidated by making gravy, but it is easy to do when you follow our flavourful guide.

TIPS

➤ Start your gravy with a roux—a mixture of fat such as pan drippings or melted butter and an equal amount of flour whisked together and cooked until golden. This thickens the sauce and gives it some colour. The darker the roux the darker the gravy. Use a whisk or a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients. ➤ Add stock slowly so that you get the desired con- sistency, which should lightly coat the back of a spoon. This also pre- vents lumpy sauces. ➤ Do not season until the gravy is finished be- cause reduction brings out the natural saltiness of the stock. ➤ Do not add more flour if the gravy is not thick enough. It will be lumpy. Make a slurry using equal parts cornstarch and cold water and add the slurry, a teaspoon at a time, stirring, until the gravy reaches desired thickness. ➤ To add a glossy sheen to gravy and give it a velvety texture, add a teaspoon or two of butter at the end.

Basic Pan Gravy recipe on page 230

FLAVOUR ENHANCERS FOR A DULL GRAVY Any of the following will improve flavour in a gravy or sauce. Use these add-ins to your own taste.

➤ Salt brings out the inherent flavours of gravy, but only use at the end ➤ Tomato paste ➤ Balsamic vinegar ➤ Soy sauce

➤ Worcestershire sauce ➤ Dijon mustard ➤ A pinch of hot peppers ➤ A drizzle of honey ➤ Light or white miso

➤ Umami paste from a tube ➤ Herbs, especially thyme and tarragon ➤ Spices such as cayenne, pepper, nutmeg, allspice or ginger

STOCK

beef gravies too. If purchasing, use low- salt packaged or canned stock (preferably organic) or buy stock from your butcher, as they usually make both beef and chicken. Look for packages that list chicken first, not salt. The best packaged stock is the one that is a paste mixture from a company called Better Than Bouillon.

In a perfect world, you would use homemade stock as a base. The gelatinous consis- tency of homemade stock helps to thicken the gravy and gives it a fresh, rich taste. Chicken stock is best to make at home and can be used instead of beef stock in

260  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2017