Delicious Vegetarian Gravy

[rikibeth]

I figured I'd write this down, in case someone else needs to make gravy suitable for vegetarians.

2 Tbsp butter (if you're cooking for vegans, go ahead and use vegetable oil)
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp Marmite
1 tbsp onion marmalade
Few sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
2 cups Imagine Organics No-Chicken Broth
1 tbsp sherry
Black pepper

If you don't have onion marmalade on hand, increase the fat to 3 Tbsp, and begin by caramelizing, oh, I'd say 1/4 cup raw onion thinly sliced as the first step.

Add the flour, Marmite, and thyme, and make a roux. Cook for 5 minutes so the flour doesn't taste raw.

Add the broth, gradually at first, whisking as you add so there won't be lumps. Add the sherry, and, if you're using onion marmalade, plunk it in now.

Bring to a boil, turn it down to a simmer, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Add black pepper to taste at the end. I would say taste for salt, but, seriously, with the Marmite in there, it is NOT going to need more salt.

This also works with plain old vegetable stock, but isn't as convincingly poultry-like. You decide if that's a bug or a feature.

Works on stuffing, mashed potatoes, French fries, basically ANYTHING you want gravy on. Enjoy!

Comments

[hangingfire.livejournal.com]

Now that is a use for Marmite that I would not have thought of, but which makes perfect sense. Excellent.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Marmite is also the secret ingredient in my Seitanic Stew that makes it a reasonable approximation of beef burgundy. Let us all praise the little jar of concentrated umami!

[pentane.livejournal.com]

I thought marmite was, um, dead yeast.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Yes. And thus a rich source of glutamates, which hit the umami taste receptors. A spoonful of Marmite dissolved in boiling water is hard to distinguish from beef bouillon.

[pentane.livejournal.com]

I guess I'm confused that it's considered vegetarian.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

This household also consumes cheese, yogurt, bread, and other things produced with live cultures of one sort or another. When it gets down to the level of single-celled organisms, my ovo-lacto vegetarians aren't too bothered. It's megafauna they object to.

[asciikitty.livejournal.com]

I don't know that it would be considered vegan, but yeast isn't classified as an animal as far as I know. Bread's got dead yeast in it too, after all.

[kadath.livejournal.com]

Yeast are fungi. Okay for vegans.

[delerium69.livejournal.com]

Wow, I had no idea. I just always heard was a spread made from the left-overs of processing beer that was popular in the UK but only if you grew up eating it. Otherwise, it's flavour is hard to get used to (kinda like peanut butter with us). And it's also good for hang-overs. That whole B-vitamin thingy. (And that's it practically the same as Aussie Vegemite.)

Thanks for the tip!

[shut-me-up.livejournal.com]

Ah! I just wanted to ask for that recipe!!