Who can do without gravy at Thanksgiving? We couldn't. Thanks to preparing food for our very precious pet, whom we no longer have, I learned a very good way to make gravy. One of the dishes I used to make for our dog was a potato dish. In order to make the dish as nutritious, and delicious, as possible, I would add just the amount of water needed to fully cook the potatoes by the time the water had just about evaporated. This worked very well. However, once in a while, the potatoes would cook just a little longer than needed, and there would be some browned potatoes stuck to the bottom of the pan. This looked a lot like what I used to begin with to make gravy in a roasting pan which had contained meat. So I experimented some, and found a simple way to prepare a very yummy gravy.
| 1 | Potatoes, WhiteWashed, with skin on, cut up into inch size chunks | |
| 1 | cup | WaterJust enough to barely cover the potatoes |
| ¼ | cup | Yellow OnionCut into inch pieces |
| 1 | tbsp | Lightly Salted Butter |
| 2 | tbsp | Unsalted Butter |
| 1 | Bouillon CubesDepending on the brand, use enough for two cups of water. | |
| ¼ | tsp | Kitchen BouquetScant |
| 2 | tbsp | Flour, All Purpose, Unbleached |
| 2 | cups | WaterFor the final stage of preparation. |
| ½ | cup | MushroomsCut into chunks of about an inch |
| 1 |
In a small uncovered sauce pan, over medium heat, cook the potato, onion, and one Tbsp. of lightly salted butter with just enough water to barely cover the vegetables. Let these cook until the water has evaporated. Then watch the pan and let the vegetables cook a little longer, until some of the veggie mixture begins to get good and browned on the bottom of the pan. Don't let it burn. Take out the vegetables. (I save them for some future dish, such as soup.)
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| 2 |
Add the two Tbsp. of unsalted butter and let it melt. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the flour until it makes a smooth soft paste. Then add the two remaining cups of water, with the pan still off the heat. Mix these together well until the lumps are either gone or well distributed. This will all smooth out as you continue.
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| 3 | Add the bouillion cube. |
| 4 | Place the pan back on the heat and continue to stir well, until the gravy begins to thicken and bubble some. Then, check for color; if needed add a drop or two of Kitchen Bouquet. |
| 5 | You're finished, and I suspect even the meat eaters would not detect a difference between this and a meat-based gravy. |