Caramelized Onion, Crimini, and Porcini Gravy

Ah, gravy. It's even a metaphor for the good things in life. A savory sauce to accompany a feast or bring together a Tuesday night dinner. This elegant mushroom gravy will be at home on any table, elevating even the most humble foods.

I do have to admit, I am a serious mushroom enthusiast. I was thinking the other day about what I would call my (purely hypothetical) all mushroom cookbook. I am charged with one side dish for the Thanksgiving table this year, but I am in fact bringing this mushroom gravy, both whole and pureed, a mushroom and wild rice side dish, and I even thought of bringing a mushroom appetizer but I think I will exercise at least a modicum of self control.

I think this gravy will be a hit with both the turkey gravy crowd and the non-turkey gravy crowd, and I am hoping, with one individual who explained to me that he/she (who will remain anonymous) DOES NOT LIKE GRAVY. Yes, you read that right. I aim to change that.

This recipe gets massive flavor and soft, silky texture from heaps of caramelized onion as well as a subtle hit of ultra earthy umami from dried porcini mushrooms. Dried porcini are a powerful and effortless ingredient that can add an undeniable "wow" factor to many dishes. I just used them in a quick mushroom barley soup along with button mushrooms for an added depth that the button or crimini mushrooms cannot provide themselves. They are easy to use and the flavor cannot be matched. A small amount goes a long way. When it comes to caramelized onions, yes, they are worth the time and effort. Give this gravy a try and revisit it throughout the winter months for all your gravy needs.

The prep for the gravy takes long enough that making a fresh vegetable stock during the process just makes sense. I like to add kombu to my stock, which you see above as the dark rectangular pieces. I keep a package of dried kombu sea vegetable in my cupboard and toss a few pieces into most stocks I make. Having kombu on hand also means you can make a dashi broth for miso soup or Japanese sauces any time. Adding layers of flavors and minerals never hurts and a fresh stock gives a nice, clean flavor base to the gravy. It is as easy as chopping some veg, tossing them in a pot, and simmering for 40 min.

Caramelizing the onions takes about an hour, so start that as soon as the stock is on. Thyme shows up twice, both in the stock and in the finished gravy, completing a classic and comforting flavor combination of mushrooms and thyme. I used crimini as the second mushroom, which are also sold as "Baby Bella", but you may use button mushrooms or really any other fresh but firm mushrooms like shiitake, oyster, or chanterelle if you really want to indulge your mushroom passions. If you use anything other than crimini or button mushrooms, I personally would not blend the sauce, and I would make sure to slice them in a way that highlights their individual shapes.

Get comfy in your kitchen, turn on some music, maybe grab a glass of wine and settle in to caramelize the onions while you prep everything else. Caramelizing onions is less a matter of skill and more a matter of time. Grab a large, heavy bottomed pot or pan. Get those onions sliced thinly, about 1/8th inch, and toss them in with a little olive oil over medium high heat to begin.

First the onions need to sweat, so get them hot without browning them and then reduce the pan to medium. Stir them often until they are really releasing liquid and steam. If at any time the onions start to brown, turn down the heat a little. When the onions have softened, turn the heat down even further to medium low and eventually low. As the onions lose their water the temperature must be reduced. Keep stirring and observing the onions during the process. Depending on your range, you will most likely end up with the pan nearly or fully at the lowest heat for a majority of the process.

If you are still having an issue with the lowest heat being too high and you are using a heavy bottomed pot/pan and stirring fairly frequently, you may need to get creative. With an electric range you may need to babysit the onions a little more, removing the pan from the heat or turning it off from time to time. Use a flame tamer if you have one and are using a gas range.

By the end, there should be a little caramelized brown layer here and there on the bottom of the pan and the onions will have reduced drastically into a soft, golden mound. Take the onions off the heat and scrape all that flavor off of the bottom of the pan and into the onions. Congrats on your beautifully caramelized onions!

These magical little dried porcini mushrooms (above) are miraculous. How they have so much flavor packed into their little crinkled selves is beyond me. Amazingly, they create liquid gold when re-hydrated and this soaking liquid is as valuable as the mushrooms themselves. I bought a 1 oz package for $7. In the gravy I used 1/3 of that (including the soaking liquid of course!). Porcini can be overpowering depending on your taste, but if you would like a more intense flavor in your gravy I highly recommend increasing the porcini to 1/2 oz.

In order for the crimini mushrooms (above) not to release liquid into the gravy and thin it, they have to be sauteed until they stop releasing moisture. When mushrooms have reached this point, they have been cooked "au sec"...until dry. They will be nicely browned, which will also add flavor to your gravy.

When you have brought everything together in one pan and have let them mingle for a few minutes, slowly whisk in your slurry of cornstarch and water while simmering the sauce. Season with salt and balsamic vinegar.

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Caramelized Onion, Crimini, and Porcini Gravy

Ingredients:

For the Stock:

• 3-4 Celery stalks
• 1 Medium sized carrot
• 1/2 Large onion
• 2, 2x3 Inch pieces kombu (approx.)
• 6 Sprigs fresh thyme, or more
• 3 Large cloves garlic
• 6 C water

For the Gravy:

• 3 Medium sized sweet, brown or yellow onions
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/3 Oz dried porcini
• 1/2 C hot water
• 1/2 Lb crimini mushrooms
• 1 Medium clove garlic
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• 5 C vegetable broth (see above)
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 1/2 Tsp sea salt
• 4 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 C cold water
• 1/2-1 Tsp balsamic vinegar

To make the stock, begin by rinsing the celery and lightly scrubbing the carrot to remove any loose dirt. Chop them in 1/4 inch thick pieces. Cut the onion in half, remove just the roots at the bottom, and slice it with the skin on into 1/4 inch pieces. Smash and roughly chop the garlic, skin on. Place the celery, carrot, onion, garlic, kombu and thyme in a lidded pot with 7 C water. Bring the stock to a boil, loosely cover the pot to avoid boiling over, and maintain a medium simmer for 40 minutes. When the stock is finished, strain it and measure 5 cups for the recipe. Save any extra in the refrigerator or freezer.

Once the stock is started, peel and halve the three sweet onions from top to bottom. Lay them flat and slice them again through their middle. Now cut 1/8 inch slices lengthwise from the sides toward the center creating thin pieces roughly 1 to 1 1/2 inches long. If your onions are squat, skip cutting them through the middle first. The idea is to avoid extra long stringy onions. 1 to 1 1/2 inch long slices do nicely.

Before starting to caramelize the onions, place the dried porcini in a small bowl with 1/2 C hot water to soften. This will take about 30 minutes.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot or pan, begin to cook the onions over medium high heat with 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Stir them frequently until they begin to sweat. When the onions have softened significantly, reduce the heat to medium and continue to stir frequently. As the onions lose moisture, reduce the heat until the onions can be stirred occasionally without browning at all. If at any point your onions start to brown, as opposed to softening an turning a golden color, reduce the heat. For the majority of the time the onions will be cooking at a very low heat. This will take about an hour. When the onions are done, they will be very soft, greatly reduced in volume, and will have a golden color. Turn off the heat and scrape everything from the bottom of the pan into the onions.

While the onions are cooking, prepare the mushrooms. Brush any growing medium off of the crimini, or wash them if you like, and cut them from top to bottom. Cut each side once more from side to side through the cap. Now slice the mushrooms very thin, about 1/8th inch. When  the crimini have softened, squeeze out any liquid and slice them paper thin. Reserve the cooking liquid but when you add it to the gravy be aware of any grit at the bottom and simply pour the liquid off of the top to leave sediment at the bottom of the bowl.

Combine the sliced porcini and crimini with 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. When the crimini have lost much of their water you may reduce the heat slightly. Continue sauteing until they have browned considerably. Grate the garlic into the pan and stir well to cook the garlic. Add the mirin to the pan and cook it off briefly. Now add the onions, porcini soaking liquid, vegetable stock, fresh thyme, and sea salt. Allow the combined elements to simmer for about 5 minutes.

When the mixture has simmered for 5 minutes, mix the cornstarch and cold water to form a slurry. Pour the slurry into the simmering gravy slowly while whisking to mix evenly. When the mixture is thickened, season with 1/2 to 1 Tsp balsamic vinegar. If the result is too thick or too thin for your taste simply add a little more stock/water or make a small additional amount of cornstarch slurry and add until you reach the desired consistency.

Yield: approximately 8 servings

Cranberry Cherry Sauce with Juniper Berries

Cranberry sauce has a special status in my holiday menu. All the other items on the Thanksgiving table, be it turkey/Tofurkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, green beans, cornbread, greens or macaroni and cheese...are nothing without cranberry sauce. Nothing. To me it is the one dish that unites all others. There are no other tart and bitter flavors (except maybe greens) in the traditional Thanksgiving feast and so it provides the crucial balance to all the savory, sweet, and salty that is going on.

I am no purist when it comes to cranberry sauce. I can enjoy orange, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, clove, allspice, pepper, chilies, onions, apples, raisins, figs, nuts, and the kitchen sink in there, but...my instinct is to keep it simple. With just five ingredients, this cranberry sauce could not be more straight forward. The intrigue comes from the one ingredient that adds a distinctly outdoorsy, seasonal, new yet compatible flavor to your holiday meals: Juniper Berries.

Let's talk about those Juniper Berries for a minute. There are many species of Juniper, but only one, common juniper, is used for culinary purposes. Gin would be the comestible in which most people have experienced the flavor of juniper berries. It has a wonderful piney flavor that is full of potential for the curious cook. I made a Meyer lemon, juniper and sage wine cocktail a few years ago and have wanted to do more with juniper ever since. Recipes for game with juniper sauce are common and often include cherries so I was inspired. I felt the mix of cherries and cranberries could help add sweetness without quite as much sugar as sometimes gets tossed in to a cranberry sauce. White wine also adds another subtle layer and a little more sugar depending on the sweetness of the wine you use.

This recipe is really flexible as well. Fresh or frozen fruit will work. Dried cherries, maybe 1/2 C instead of a full C of fresh/frozen, would work nicely if they are soaked overnight in the wine plus extra water to cover. Then use all of the soaking liquid in the cooking and just cook it down a little longer to get your desired consistency.

In order for the juniper berries to release more of their flavor, they need to be crushed. Just pound them until they are split open and somewhat broken. Give them a smell in the process. Wonderful!

In this recipe I leave the juniper berries right in with the cranberries and cherries. This way there is an unmistakable bite of juniper here and there. It's rustic if you want to call it that, but that is the way I like it. Another alternative for folks not wanting to bite into the berries is as follows: Increase the juniper to about 40 berries, crush them, and combine them with the wine in the pan. Bring it up to a simmer, turn off the heat and cover to steep the berries in the hot wine for about 10 minutes. Strain the berries out of the wine and add it back to the pan with the cranberry, cherry, and sugar and cook as directed.

If at any point during the cooking you feel the need for a little extra liquid, just add a tablespoon of wine or water at a time. Fresh or frozen fruit will release a little water of it's own when heated, so there should be enough liquid with 1/4 C wine, covering the pan to simmer, and cooking over a low heat.

Simple method: Combine, bring to a boil, simmer covered over low heat! This recipe also scales very easily so make as much as you need. Just add a little simmering time if necessary for the cranberries to pop, completely soften, and fall apart. Cranberry sauce is of course perfect for your Thanksgiving or holiday proteins (and everything else on the table) as well as sandwiches, cheese boards and fish. Enjoy!

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Cranberry Cherry Sauce with Juniper Berries

Ingredients:

• 30 dried juniper berries
• 1 C fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 C fresh or frozen cherries
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 C white wine

*NOTE: The measures for cranberry and cherries can be approximate. Let the berries and cherries heap over the top of the measure a little as they are bulky and hard to measure.

Crush the juniper berries with a mortar and pestle or with the back of a spoon until flattened and broken open. Combine the juniper, cranberries, cherries, sugar and wine in a small sauce pan, stir to combine, and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer over low heat 8 to 10 minutes or until all the cranberries are popped and have fallen apart. As it is simmering stir a couple of times to check if the cranberries are done.

If you like a looser sauce remove it from the heat at this time. If you like a thicker sauce, cook it down with the lid off one or two more minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.

Yield: 1 C depending on your desired thickness

The sauce will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator and also freezes well.

Grilled Halloumi, Fruits and Vegetables with Rosemary-Chili Vinaigrette

This post all began with the vinaigrette. It's a go-to sauce for me, since I have copious amounts of rosemary on hand. The fact that it's NOT 100 degrees but hovering around the upper 80's this week gave me the perfect excuse to pair this zippy rosemary vinaigrette with a grill platter. So, fire up some coals, grab a little glass of red wine, a loaf of crusty, chewy peasant bread, and make this platter!

This bold rosemary, chili, lemon and honey sauce is not at all dainty. It's even chunky, you get bits of rosemary, chili, and lemon zest. If you can mince, zest, and stir you can make it. It loves thick wedges of vegetables, hunks of bread, grilled fish and other meats or grilled Haloumi cheese. Halloumi is a firm (considered semi-hard) goat and sheep's milk cheese that is excellent on the grill or warmed on a griddle before serving. It tastes a little wild and is matched nicely by the bold flavors in this sauce.

Spices sometimes get forgotten, so make sure you do replace them at least yearly if you don't go through a jar in that time. They loose their punch and flavor, and we've all had that sad, pale, geriatric jar of something or other that has managed to escape the bin for a few years. So, make sure you've got some fresh, punchy, deep red chili flakes and go to town. A good substitute might be to toss in a little ground chipotle pepper or minced chipotle en adobo for a smokey version of this sauce.

As far as your lineup of veggies, fruits and proteins for the grill, well just about anything goes! If you haven't grilled stone fruit before, it's a good time to start. Plums, peaches, and nectarines are going to knock your socks off. I almost never grill without throwing on one entire onion, sliced into 1/2 inch rings. Try firm fleshed tomatoes as well, sliced in half or lengthwise for plum type tomatoes like Roma. Remove some of the moist seed pockets and they will grill better. Of course, lightly brush everything with olive oil and remember not to move things around. Respect the first contact with the grill so you get respectable char marks!

The Halloumi takes just 2 minutes on each side, depending on where you lay it on the grill. I would pick a medium-hot spot for the cheese. Grill your other items first, then throw the cheese on when the last things are finishing up. This way the Halloumi will be soft and warm for serving. Don't forget to grill some lemon! The cheese especially loves to have extra lemon to match it's saltiness.

The platter above was prepared for two adults, but if your grill is big enough, by all means do extra veggies and fruits!!! There is no downside to having grilled veggies for sandwiches, adding to pasta, or chopping into an omelette later in the week. The grilled fruit makes an instant desert by itself, drizzled with honey and nuts, or with ice cream, but you already thought of that ice cream bit, didn't you?

Halloumi is a very satisfying protein with this meal if you add a nice loaf of bread to the fruits and veggies. Straight off of the heat it is salty and soft with a slightly dense, curd-like texture. Heavenly.

Get grilling!

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Grilled Halloumi, Fruits and Vegetables with Rosemary-Chili Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp minced rosemary
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 Tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 Tsp chili flakes
• 1/4 Tsp sea salt
• 1/2 Lb Haloumi
• Assorted veggies and fruits to grill

In a small bowl, mix the lemon, rosemary, honey, olive oil, lemon zest, chili flakes, and sea salt to make the vinaigrette. Transfer the vinaigrette to a small cup that will fit on your serving platter. Slice the Halloumi in 1/2 inch thick pieces on the bias, straight up and down or straight through the middle from side to side to create pieces of the desired size. Prepare the veggies and fruits for grilling. For stone fruits, slice them in half and remove the pits. Brush all your grill items lightly with olive oil and begin with the veggies and fruits. When these are done, transfer to a nice serving plate and place the Halloumi slices on the grill in a medium heat zone for about two minutes on each side. You should get nice char marks. Don't worry if you get larger or uneven patches of browning/charring but keep an eye on these guys and don't over do them.

When the cheese is done, move it to the serving platter. You may drizzle the vinaigrette directly over the grilled items or allow each person to dress their own food with the sauce. Slice a loaf of crusty bread and you have a meal! Enjoy!

Yield: 1 Platter for two hungry adults. Sauce will be a scant 1/4 C.