Alton Brown and Gravy (Part 1)

OK, this is admittedly a BIT of a cop-out, because I'm traveling this weekend and can't do much of a blog post today, but this IS information I did want to share. Even if it isn't exactly a recipe.
And parts aren't exactly (*GASP*) vegan....

See, this YouTube clip is the first half of Alton Brown's episode on GRAVY!!! And it's a MUST SEE for all gravy-makers. Even vegans.

Now of course we know the whole rest of the world (including wonderfully geeky-science-nerd-cooks like Alton) feel you have to make gravy with "pan drippings" or "meat juices" or other grossness (and yes, you'll hear him mention them in the video clip, obviously, and there are some pork roasts and things - but it's still great info, I promise).

Here's a secret. Vegans can have "pan drippings" (or whatever you want to call them) too! Those concentrated, tasty bits at the bottom of the roasting pan...

Here's how:

In an 8 X 11 baking dish, roast:
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup favorite broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tbsp margarine
at 400 degrees, in a pan covered with foil, until vegetables are soft.

When vegetables are soft, remove foil and continue to roast until vegetables are almost dried out (but only BARELY sticking to pan) and liquid is evaporated to just goo in the bottom of the dish.

Remove vegetables, and there you have rich tasting "pan drippings" or juices or whatever...
Now, armed with that information, go watch the video and I bet you can think past all the meaty references and get some GREAT gravy-making tips.

Alton Brown is my science-geek-cook-HERO! He's a master of explaining exactly WHY we make things the way we do and the scientific reasons behind what works and what doesn't in the kitchen.



See you tomorrow with yet another day of VEGAN GRAVY!!