11 October 2015

Gravy

Of course the best gravy is made from meat juices and hot water from pans of boiled vegetables. Maybe add seasoning and then cornflour to thicken it. Over the years those of us who cook frequently learn little tricks about making tasty gravy. A dash of wine here, an Oxo cube there. Gravy can make or break certain meals.

But sometimes, there are no meat juices to use and you need to make a quick gravy accompaniment. This is why supermarkets have sections devoted to gravy granules and instant gravies. However, what they produce never tastes quite the same as real homemade gravy does it?

See the tub of onion gravy granules at the top of this post. We always have such a tub in our pantry but just recently I have been using these granules in a different way. Quite simply, I chop up an onion then fry it in a pan with a dash of olive oil and a knob of butter. When the chopped onion is softened up and beginning to brown, I pour in a jug of the instant "Bisto" gravy and stir together. The resulting gravy is much more palatable than it tastes without the onions.

That is my practical culinary tip for the day and I pass it on to visitors to this blog free of charge! Eat your heart out Chef Ramsay and coke-snorting Nigella! Next week - How to make great mashed potato! Tune in to "Cooking With Pudding" starring yours truly.
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Message to "Bisto" Ltd - For promoting one of your products a nice fat cheque would be appreciated. Thanks in anticipation of your speedy response.

21 comments:

  1. Yorkie your cooking hints are most useful. Next we demand your Yorkshire Pudding recipe, Yorkie! You must have known that would be on the cards...your recipe cards! Are demands are few and far between but when they make their appearances, they must be obeyed!!

    And, yes...nothing the beats a good, rich, flavoursome gravy made from scratch (or scratching down the sides and base of the roasting pan)...but sometimes it is necessary for whatever reasons to succumb to other means and methods. And there ain't nuttin' bad about that!!!

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    1. Lee - There is NO WAY that you will be able to get my mother's Yorkshire pudding recipe out of me! Some treasures are too precious to share.

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    2. Well, that certainly put me back in my kitchen cupboard!!

      And I meant to type "Our demands are few...." not "Are demands..." but I know you knew that!

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  2. Yorkie you sound very domesticated indeed .

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    1. Men can be very obedient when properly trained. All you have to say is "Fetch boy!"

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  3. I haven't used Bisto for years. I use one of those Stockpot things. A little plastic pot full of jelly.

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    1. It's for bloggers like you that I made this blogpost. Try it man!

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  4. I just learned to make real gravy this past summer thanks to a coworker who's a good cook teaching me, but it only turns right about half the time. I love good gravy!

    Tomorrow I'll be making homemade chicken pot pie which I'm REALLY looking forward to!

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    1. Chicken pot pie? I hope you don't add too much pot Jennifer! I understand that it can make people giggly and sometimes dopey.

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    2. You've discovered my secret ingredient! Shhhhhhh......

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  5. Don't hold your breath waiting for that big fat cheque to arrive...

    Ms Soup

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    1. Awww! You have pricked my bubble Alphie!

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  6. Of course I read the title of this post, so I knew what it was going to be about. But had I only seen the picture, and not looked at it properly, I would have thought it's a jar of instant coffee. "Bisto" can easily be misread for "Bistro", and the brown colour can remind one of coffee. The oval around the word "Bisto" could be interpreted as a coffee bean, with the "steam" rising from the words "just add boiling water" - as you would do with instant coffee.

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    1. Well it looks like granular coffee Meike. Why not try a cup of it with a little cream and sugar and a shortbread biscuit to dip in?

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  7. Bisto??? We have Gravox.
    Big fat cheque? Big fat chance!
    They will probably send you a lifetime supply of the stuff.

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    1. P.S. FYI ~ I have mentioned one of your fellow countrymen on my blog tonight YP

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    2. I will be looking at "A Not So Small Life" later on Carol. "Gravox" is a not-so-subtle brand name - gravy made from an ox.

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  8. Just as with a tomato sauce, every once in a while I will use the jared stuff. But always with additions such as peppers, mushrooms, a little carrot, onions and, oh yes, loads of garlic. Then it is great sauce. I do love a good Yorkshire Pudding on Christmas Day with our leg of lamb. But your missives and photos, Mr. Yorkshire Pudding, I look forward to EVERY day!

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    1. I guess that most women look forward to having Yorkshire Pudding on Christmas Day but I am married!

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  9. I use a similar product now and then too YP. We all need a quick and easy fix now and then... in fact quite often these days !
    Good luck with the millions you are expecting...but if they arrive you can bring Shirley out here for a trip!

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    1. Okay, when that cheque comes we will be doing a Royal Tour of Queensland. Tell Tony to get his gentleman in waiting uniform ready - complete with white knee breeches and his buckled shioes.

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