Mushroom Gravy Recipe
My easy mushroom gravy is the one I make when there are no pan drippings to work with but I still want a rich gravy to pour over my potatoes. It cooks up in about 20 minutes with caramelized mushrooms, shallots, and a splash of white wine. I love that it’s savory, glossy, and good on almost anything.
Ingredients
- 1 pint of baby bella mushrooms
- 1 pint of button mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 finely minced garlic cloves
- 1 peeled thinly sliced shallot
- ¾ cup of dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons of finely minced fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
- Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Using a damp paper towel, remove any unwanted particles from the mushrooms, and then thinly slice them.
- In a large carbon steel, cast iron, or stainless steel skillet, add the oil and heat over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
- Add the mushrooms, gently season with salt, and sauté for 10 to 12 minutes or until they are well browned.
- Scoot the mushrooms to 1 side of the pan, and in the other, the shallots, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Cook the shallots and garlic on that side of the pan for 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Mix all the ingredients in the pan together, deglaze with the white wine, and cook until there is only 1 or 2 tablespoons remaining.
- Turn the heat down to medium and mix in the flour to make a roux.
- Pour in the beef stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling turn the heat down to low and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Finish with parsley, remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, salt, and pepper, and mix. Serve.
Notes
I have been making mushroom gravy since my early restaurant days, when we served it over filet medallions or as a sauce over chicken and beef. The thing I love about it is that it does not mask what it goes on, it accompanies it. There is nothing better looking on a plate than a rich dark brown sauce loaded with well-seared mushrooms. The most common miss is crowding the pan and stirring too soon, which traps steam and leaves you with rubbery mushrooms instead of browned ones. Give them room in a smoking-hot pan, salt them, and leave them alone until they are browned before the first stir.
Use the right pan: Go with carbon steel, cast iron, or stainless steel. Those surfaces develop the browned bits on the bottom that make the deglaze worth doing.
Never soak the mushrooms: Wipe them with a damp paper towel instead. Waterlogged mushrooms steam and refuse to brown.
Do not skip the deglaze: The wine lifts the flavorful browned bits off the bottom of the pan and folds them back into the gravy. That is where the depth comes from.
Season for Thanksgiving: Drop 2 to 3 sage leaves, rosemary sprigs, or thyme sprigs in with the stock, then fish them out at the end for a holiday version.
Make-Ahead: I make this up to 3 days ahead, let it cool completely, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge until it is time to serve.
How to Store: I keep leftover gravy in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. It thickens and can break a little as it cools, which sorts itself out on the reheat.
How to Reheat: I warm it in a saucepan over low to medium heat, stirring now and then. If it has gone too thick, I loosen it with a splash of stock or water.
How to Freeze: I freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 208kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 8gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 330mgPotassium: 955mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 288IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 2mg