Seriously The Best Gravy
Ingredients
- 1/2 of a 5 lb bag of onions, thinly sliced
- 2 T oil
- 1 or 2 t dried thyme
- 1 1/2 t salt, divided
- 2 T white wine
- 4 T butter
- 1/4 c Wondra (or flour)
- Pan drippings, strained
- Enough stock that when added to pan drippings, makes 3 c liquid
Directions
While your meat is cooking, heat your oil in a medium saucepan, over medium heat, and slice your onions.Put the onions in the oil, and turn down the heat a bit if they start to brown right away. Stir, stir, stir. About 6 minutes worth. You are probably getting brown sticky bits on the bottom of your pot. That’s good.
Turn the heat down a smidge more. Add the thyme and 1/2 t salt. Stir, stir, stir. About 8 minutes this time, or until your onions are getting toasty brown.
Add the white wine and scrape up all the sticky brown bits. Stir, stir, stir. Probably another 8 minutes, or until your onions are caramel colored and starting to break apart. Set these aside until your meat is done.
When your meat is transferred to rest, use about a cup of stock to deglaze your roasting pan and pull up all of *that* sticky stuff. Strain it if you want (I do) into a measuring cup, and add more stock until you have 3 cups of liquid.
Put your onions back on the stove and turn on the heat to medium. Add the butter and stir until melted and bubbly. Add the flour or Wondra slowly, and stir to coat the onions. Stir the onion/flour mixture for about a minute.
Slowly stir in the stock, a little at a time. When all the stock is added, add 1 t salt and turn up the heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer (about low to medium-low heat) and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes, or until thickened.
I know. It’s a LOT of work. But if you like gravy at all, you will want to drink this. (Also, the first few steps make awesome caramelized onions.)
Inappropriate Metaphor 