This Four-Ingredient Onion Gravy Will Make Any Meal More Cozy.
People love to talk about “sweater weather,” but-me-changing sheets and dropping temperatures mark the start of the weather gravy . Like a sweater, gravy makes whatever it covers feel a little warmer and cozier, and sweater and gravy are better when they’re on the thick side. However, this is where the similarities end, and while I’m not really good at making a sweater, I can make a very nice bowl (or boat) out of gravy.
One of my favorites is a very simple (vegetarian by the way) onion sauce that can only be made with onions, a little oil, a little flour, and about a cup of vegetable broth. Depending on how flavorful your broth is, you may need a little salt and pepper, and you can also feel free to add any flavoring you see fit. (My favorites are apple juice and / or miso, especially if I eat pork chops.)
As with any gravy, the key to keeping it smooth and free of lumps is to coat the flour with fat before adding any liquid, and what better way than sprinkling it on the oily mass of fried onions? Let the onion oil soak in the flour, cook a little more to get rid of the raw flour flavor, then add your favorite broth and simmer until smooth and thick. It couldn’t be easier. To make it you will need:
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper for flavor
- Optional: apple juice or miso paste.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium to high heat and sauté the onions in hot oil until tender and lightly browned around the edges. Sprinkle the flour on the onion, stir until it is coated, then cook for another minute until the flour smells like toasted. Gradually add about one and a half cups of broth, whisking constantly, then simmer until thickened to the desired sauce viscosity. If it gets too thick, add a little more broth.
Flavor the sauce and add salt and pepper if necessary. If you want an apple and onion gravy, add a couple tablespoons of apple juice. If you want a miso gravy, add a tablespoon of miso paste. If you want to go crazy add both of them.