FINALLY ON THE GRAVY TRAIN

FINALLY ON THE GRAVY TRAIN

I’ve never liked gravy.  I mean really, why ruin a perfectly delicious piece of poultry or meat or ruin scrumptious, smooth, creamy mashed potatoes w/ something that buries these amazing flavors and tastes?  And don’t get me started on the idea of smothering chestnut stuffing w/ brown liquid.

Well, I get it now.  I’m on the gravy train.  Why?  Because Richard made the most wonderful balsamic gravy for Thanksgiving… a gravy that brought out the flavors of the turkey and its stuffing, not to mention the mashed potatoes w/o overpowering the tastes I love so much…

Then two nights later, he kept me on the train w/ yet another gravy…  a Giada DeLaurentiis red wine sauce he drizzled over perfectly cooked filet mignons…

Soooooo, for you gravy lovers and non-gravy lovers… all aboard!

Caramelized Onion-Balsamic Gravy

(for turkey)

From Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

5-1/2 cups (or more) canned, low-salt chicken broth

1 onion, quartered

1 bay leaf

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter

2 large onions, halved, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

½ cup balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Combine turkey neck and giblets, 5-1/2 cups broth, quartered onion and bay leaf in saucepan.  Simmer until reduced to 3 cups liquid, skimming occasionally, about 1 hour.  Strain turkey stock.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sliced onions; sauté 10 minutes.  Add 1 tablespoon rosemary and 1 tablespoon sage and sauté until onions are golden, about 10 minutes.  Add flour, stir 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in turkey stock.  Boil until gravy thickens, stirring often, about 3 minutes.  Add 1 teaspoon each rosemary and sage.

Transfer turkey to platter.  Tent w/ foil.  Pour juices from pan into large glass measuring cup; spoon off fat.  Add juices to gravy. 

Add vinegar to roasting pan.  Bring vinegar to simmer over medium heat, scraping up browned bits.  Pour mixture into heavy small saucepan.  Boil until reduced to ¼ cup, about 3 minutes then add to gravy.  Rewarm gravy/ thin w/ more chicken broth, if desired.  Season w/ salt and pepper to taste.

RED WINE SAUCE

FOR FILET MIGNON

Courtesy Giada DeLaurentiis

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ cup tomato paste

2-1/2 cups dry red wine

Directions:

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.  Season w/ salt.  Add the garlic and oregano and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Whisk in the wine.  Simmer until the sauce reduces by half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Remove the skillet/saucepan from the heat.  Strain the sauce into a small bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.  Discard the solids in the strainer and return the sauce to the saucepan and bring back to slow simmer.

Cut the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into ½ inch chunks and whisk in the sauce a little at a time.  Season the sauce, to taste, w/ salt and pepper.

Drizzle the sauce over the filets and serve.

Sauce is enough for 6 filets