It would appear that I am not the only one to gather crumbs for my supper. My subject recently brought home several very nice looking red potatoes, which apparently were taken from the trimmings of a local produce purveyor. Around this she constructed the evening meal, along with some mushrooms and cubed steak.
The potatoes were simply boiled and combined with butter, salt, and pepper to taste, left only mildly flavoured, as the gravy for the main course will apparently be rather savory. From my hiding place, I saw her employ a combination of sauteed mushrooms, strong broth, and red wine to make a rich, full bodied gravy. I can attest to its flavor because as the cook turned her back, I made off with a happily won taste.
Gravy:
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
Small handful of flour
4 cups strong beef broth (any similar liquid can be substituted)
1/3-1/2 cup red wine according to taste
1 tablespoon soy sauce (in this cook's case, one packet left over from Chinese food)
1 tablespoon dehydrated minced garlic
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 clove minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
The steaks were lightly coated in flour and allowed to rest for 5 minutes, then dipped in an egg wash consisting of 1 egg, a few tablespoons of milk, and a touch of hot sauce, then back into the flour, and allowed to sit for about 10 minutes before browning in a little oil and set aside.
The mushrooms are cooked over low heat with the butter until soft, then the heat turned up, the garlic added, and left to lightly brown. Again Elliot has stolen away with a sample, and appears quite pleased with the added hint of garlic. A handful of flour followed, and it was browned very slightly, probably to further enhance the flavour of the sauce. The remaining ingredients were added slowly as the cook vigorously stirred the homely looking mixture. It was brought to a boil, and the meat placed in the pan. Left to stew covered over low heat for about 30 minutes, the meat tenderized and the coating combined with the sauce to make a very thick, hearty gravy.
