Gravy

For other uses, seeGravy (disambiguation).

Gravyis asaucemade from the juices ofmeatsand vegetables that run naturally during cooking and often thickened with thickeners for added texture. The gravy may be further coloured and flavoured with gravy salt (a mix of salt and caramel food colouring) or gravy browning (gravy salt dissolved in water) orbouillon cubes.Powders can be used as a substitute for natural meat or vegetable extracts. Canned and instant gravies are also available.Gravy is commonly served withroasts,meatloaf,rice,noodles,fries(chips),mashed potatoes,orbiscuits(North America, seebiscuits and gravy).

History

Based on current understanding of what a gravy is at its core (a sauce made from meat drippings combined with a thickening agent), one of the earliest recorded instances of a gravy being used is fromThe Forme of Cury,a cookbook from the 14th century.The term "gravy" is believed to be derived from the French word "gravé "that is found in many medieval French cookbooks.

Types

See alsoWiktionary > gravy § Hyponyms

• Brown gravy is the name for a gravy made from the drippings from roasted meat or fowl. The drippings are cooked on the stovetop at high heat with onions or other vegetables, and then thickened with a thin mixture of water and either wheat flour or cornstarch.
• Cream gravy, or white gravy (sawmill gravy) is abechamelsauce made using fats from meat—such as sausage or bacon—or meat drippings from roasting or frying meats. The fat and drippings are combined with flour to make a roux, and milk is typically used as the liquid to create the sauce, however, cream is often added or may be the primary liquid. It is frequently seasoned with black pepper, and complementing herbs and bits of meat may be added such as sausage or diced chicken liver. It is an important part of many Southern USA meals, and frequently used as an ingredient in casseroles and other southern dishes, such asbiscuits and gravyand served alongside many Southern favorites such asmashed potatoes,fried chickenandchicken-fried steak.Other common names include country gravy, sawmill gravy, milk gravy, andsausage gravy.
• Egg gravy is a variety of gravy made starting with meat drippings (usually frombacon) followed by flour being used to make a thickroux.Water, broth, or milk is added and the liquid is brought back up to a boil, then salt and peppered to taste. A well-beateneggis then slowly added while the gravy is stirred or whisked swiftly, cooking the egg immediately and separating it into small fragments in the gravy.
• Red gravy can refer to several different dishes. It is a simple, basic tomato sauce in New Orleans.In the Italian American communities it refers to a complex long- and slow-cooked tomato sauce, frequently with meats and vegetables,although the distinction between "sauce" and "gravy" in the Italian tomato world is debated.There are several red gravies from India, which are variations of tomato-based curry.
• Giblet gravy has thegibletsof turkey or chicken added when it is to be served with those types of poultry, or uses stock made from the giblets.
• Mushroom gravyis a variety of gravy made with mushrooms.
• Onion gravyis made from large quantities of slowlysweated,choppedonionsmixed withstockorwine.It is commonly served withbangers and mash,eggs,chops,or other grilled or fried meat which by way of the cooking method would not produce their own gravy.
• Red-eye gravyis a gravy made from the drippings of ham fried in a skillet or frying pan. The pan isdeglazedwith coffee, giving the gravy its name, and uses no thickening agent. This gravy is a staple of Southern United States cuisine and is usually served over ham,gritsorbiscuits.
• Vegetable gravy or vegetarian gravy is gravy made with boiled or roasted vegetables. A quick and flavourful vegetable gravy can be made from any combination of vegetable broth or vegetable stock, flour, and one of either butter, oil, ormargarine.One recipe uses vegetarianbouillon cubeswithcornstarch(corn flour) as a thickener ( "cowboyroux"), which is whisked into boiling water. Sometimes vegetable juices are added to enrich the flavour, which may give the gravy a dark green colour. Wine could be added. Brown vegetarian gravy can also be made with savouryyeast extractlikeMarmiteorVegemite.There are also commercially produced instant gravy granules which are suitable for bothvegetariansandvegans,though some of the leading brands are not marketed as being vegetarian.

Cuisines

Roast meal with gravy

Mashed potatoesand gravy from an American supermarket

In theUnited KingdomandIreland,aSunday roastis usually served with gravy. It is commonly eaten withbeef,pork,chickenorlamb.It is also popular in different parts of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland to have gravy with justchips(mostly from afish and chipshop orChinese takeaway).

InBritishandIrish cuisine,as well as in the cuisines ofCommonwealthcountries likeAustralia,CanadaandNew Zealand,the word gravy refers only to the meat-based sauce derived from meat juices, stock cubes or gravy granules. Use of the word "gravy" does not include other thickened sauces. One of the most popular forms isonion gravy,which is eaten with sausages,Yorkshire puddingand roast meat.

Throughout the United States, gravy is commonly eaten withThanksgivingfoods such asturkey,mashed potatoes andstuffing.One Southern United States variation is sausage gravy eaten withAmerican biscuits.Another Southern US dish that uses white gravy ischicken-fried steak.Rice and gravyis a staple ofCajunandCreole cuisinein the southern US state ofLouisiana.

Gravy is an integral part of the Canadian dishpoutine.In Quebec, poutine gravy is thin, and is sometimes a mix of beef and chicken stock. Other places in Canada use a thicker gravy, similar to an American gravy.

In some parts ofAsia,particularlyIndia,gravy is any thickened liquid part of a dish. For example, the liquid part of a thickcurrymay be referred to as gravy.

In the Mediterranean,Maghrebcuisine is dominated with gravy and bread-based dishes.Tajineand most Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) dishes are derivatives of oil, meat and vegetable gravies. The dish is usually served with a loaf of bread. The bread is then dipped into the gravy and then used to gather or scoop the meat and vegetables between the index, middle finger and thumb, and consumed.

In gastronomy ofMenorca,it has been used since the English influence during the 17th century in typical Menorcan and Catalan dishes, as for examplemacarrons amb grevi(pasta).

See also

• Au jus- beef juice
• Cuisine of the Southern United States
• Gravy train (disambiguation)
• List of sauces
• Sauce boat,also referred to as a gravy boat