Gravy Method Sauces (mac and cheese, alfredo, etc

Gravy-ish Sauces

People with formal culinary training will probably lynch me for clumping these sauces together. Well, sorry guys, I want to organize my sauces by how they're made. I think learning how to cook well is all about understanding the methods and flavors, not memorizing recipes.

In this post, I'll show some methods on making "gravy" of different kinds. They'll include cheese sauce (for mac and cheese and creamy alfredo), gravy (white and brown), and stews.

First, the method for these sauces are simple. Make a roux, add liquid, whisk until thickened, add flavors. Bechamel, espagnole and veloute from the classic french mother sauces fall in this category.

Now, let's look at different things you can do:
- use different oils such as bacon drippings, chicken drippings, sausage drippings, butter
- if using drippings, make sure there are enough oils to make the roux so you don't end up with a thin sauce (which you can fix by adding more roux; make the roux and add the thin sauce to thicken then add the additional thick sauce to the original thin sauce)
- fry some aromatics such as herbs, onions or garlic in the oils before adding the flour
- when frying aromatic vegetables, don't forget to salt them to draw out the moisture
- fry some chunkies such as crumbled sausage, mushrooms, etc before adding the flour
- the longer you cook the flour, the deeper in color and flavor they'll get, but less thickening power
- If you didn't have enough roux made, you'll end up with either the right consistency of sauce but not enough of it or enough sauce but too thin. Simple to fix, just make more roux if it's too thin or make more sauce to add
- use milk, broth or stock for the liquid. Make sure it's warm/hot so it doesn't
break the sauce
- add cheese in small amounts to make cheese sauce
- add meat to braise in the sauce to make things like swiss steak, beef stew, or roasts
- add meat in the liquid to braise without adding the roux. When the meat is done use the left over liquid to make the sauce

By now, you should be able to use your creativity to make your own sauces, but here are a few recipes anyway.

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Simple Bechamel

Heat some butter in the pan, medium heat, when bubbles subside add the same amount of flour and whisk until the oil is absorbed. Cook only until it smells nutty (blonde roux) without much change in color from the flour.

Add warm/hot milk to roux, slowly and waiting for each addition to mix completely before adding more. Whisking continuously until it's thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Add seasonings, salt and white pepper (to keep the whiteness).

Additions:
- while heating the milk, you can add a bouquet garni of your favorite herbs
- while heating the butter, you can add some onions, garlic, or the whites of the
scallions. All diced very finely so as to not interfere with the texture of the sauce

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Smart Mac and Cheese

you can make many variations, I will try to help you be creative in my explanation but it might make it less clear. I will give you a simple one later in this post.

Fry up some bacon or sausage (crumbles or slices) if you want to add some meatiness. Add onion, mushrooms if you want to the above oil or simply fry up the onions or mushrooms or other vegetables (leek, carrots, etc) in your favorite oil (bacon drippings, olive oil, etc). Add your seasonings now, especially spices. When you fry spices, the oil soluble flavor compounds come out better.

Add about the same amount of flour as there is oil in the pan. Be careful to watch how much mac and cheese you want to make, see my original notes above.

Make the roux to be a little darker than blonde roux.

Add warm/hot milk (you can add fresh herbs and crushed garlic to the milk while heating it up) slowly. Small additions at a time, only add after the previous milk has been absorbed by the roux. Stir continously. When you get to the right consistency (coats the back of the spoon), you're ready to add cheese.

Use good melting cheeses, grated. Muenster, asiago, cheddar, fontina, gruyere, havarti, monterey jack, gouda are all good ones. Add the grated cheese one handful at a time, stir until all is melted before adding more.

Add your macaroni to the sauce. Top with home made bread crumbs, broil until brown.

Voila!

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Simple Mac and Cheese

- heat up some oil of your choosing (butter, bacon drippings, etc)
- add some flour (same amount as the oil) and stir until the oil is absorbed and it smells a bit nutty or turned a smidgen darker color (blond roux)
- add some warm/hot milk until the right consistency. Add a little bit at a time, whisking continously until well mixed before adding more
- add shredded cheese one handful at a time, stir continously until the cheese is melted before adding more
- add the macaroni to the sauce. voila done!
- top with home made bread crumbs, broil until brown if desired

*Note: if you want to make fried mac and cheese, let cool in the fridge or use left overs. If you made the sauce thick enough to cut into squares, great. If not form into balls and make flat patties. Fry on a hot pan until heated through and GBD (Golden Brown and Delicious)

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Homemade Bread Crumbs

Take a loaf of day old bread. Cut into 1 inch cubes, put on cookie sheet. Bake at 300 until dry (not a lot of color). Crush into crumbs or use your fancy schmancy food processor. Heat some butter (or your favorite oils) and herbs/seasonings/finely chopped aromatics (garlic/onion) until bubbles subside or garlic is heated through. Add the crumbs, stir until all the oils are absorbed.

At this point, it's ready to be added to the mac and cheese. To store for longer, keep on the pan until a bit crisp

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White Gravy

This is another methodical way of cooking. The difference between white and brown gravy is whether to use milk or stock. I am shortening the sauce making description as it is the same as have been described above. Fry up your favorite meats if you want to use them. Bacon, crumbled sausage, etc. Add more oil if this doesn't produce enough to make your roux. If making a vegetarian one, use butter and oil (50/50 ratio) and heat until the butter smells nutty.

Add your aromatics if you want, finely chopped (onions, garlic). Add spices if you wish. Add the flour to make the roux. Add the warm/hot milk (don't forget to flavor it with bouquet garni if you wish). When the gravy is thickened, you're done. Now just season with salt/pepper. voila

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Brown Gravy

Fry up your favorite meats if you want to use them. Bacon, crumbled sausage, etc. Add more oil if this doesn't produce enough to make your roux. If making a vegetarian one, use butter and oil (50/50 ratio) and heat until the butter smells nutty.

Add your aromatics if you want, finely chopped (onions, garlic). Add spices if you wish. Add the flour to make the roux.

*this is where it differs with white gravy*

If you have pan drippings from a roast or any meat cooking, you want to use it here. Add extra liquid if all you have left is the browned bits on the bottom, scrape until clean. This liquid is what you want to add to the roux above. If you still need more liquid, use canned broth. I like chicken broth even if I'm making meat gravies.

When the gravy is thickened, you're done. Now just season with salt/pepper.

voila

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Wine Gravy

Fry up your favorite meats if you want to use them. Bacon, crumbled sausage, etc. Add more oil if this doesn't produce enough to make your roux. If making a vegetarian one, use butter and oil (50/50 ratio) and heat until the butter smells nutty.

Add your aromatics if you want, finely chopped (onions, garlic). Add spices if you wish. Add the flour to make the roux.

*this is where it differs with white gravy*

If you have pan drippings from a roast or any meat cooking, you want to use it here.

*this is where it differs with brown gravy*

Add a good robust red wine to the browned bits on the bottom, scrape until clean. Cook until reduced in half. This liquid is what you want to add to the roux above. If you still need more liquid, use canned broth. I like chicken broth even if I'm making meat gravies.

When the gravy is thickened, you're done. Now just season with salt/pepper.

voila

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Alfredo Sauce

The original alfredo sauce is simply pasta tossed with cheese (parmesan) and butter, maybe cream to thicken a bit. You can still make it this way.

The next version is still simple, but closer to what we know it now.
Melt butter on the pan, take off heat when it starts bubbling, add cream, wait until it's warm then parmesan, salt and pepper. Put it back on low to medium low heat and stir until smooth, do not let it boil. Add the noodle

The last version is to make bechamel and add the parmesan cheese.

Additions:
- you are of course free to add flavors such as herbs and spices or aromatics

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Braises and Stews

- Sear the meat (coat lightly with flour and salt); the meat can be in large pieces like roasts or cubed like stew meats until brown on all sides
- Add aromatics/vegetables
- Add a little bit more flour to absorb the oils
- Add warm/hot stock until 1/2 to 3/4 of the meat is covered (if using canned, use low sodium)
- Cover and let braise on low (or in the oven for 325 degrees) until the meat is tender, check after the first hour. Depends on how big the meat is
- When the meat is done, the gravy should be fairly thick. If not, taste and if it's not too salty let it reduce. If it's already salty enough, make some roux to thicken
- Voila...stews and pot roast, depending on what kind of meat you put on there

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Swiss Steak

- Lightly coat cubed steak with seasoned flour
- Sear both sides until brown
- Add aromatics
- Add more flour to absorb the left over oil
- Add warm/hot low sodium broth
- When the gravy is thickened to a stew consistency, add the meat back on
- Braise for 30 minutes
- Season with salt and pepper
- Voila

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Quick and versatile pasta dish

I love simple pastas without creamy sauces or tomato sauces (I love them too, but they're close second and third). This recipe is from walking around in a farmer's market.

Get whatever greens are in season. I like kale, chards, spinach, mustard greens, etc (mix them up too if you'd like). Roughly chop them, I don't use the stems in chards and kale.
Get some cherry tomatoes, halve them and roast cut side up drizzled in olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. 350 degrees until soft (15 minutes? depending on your oven, etc). This is an extra step, if you are too lazy, cut them in half and don't roast them.
Get some olive oil in a wide pan on medium low. Throw some garlic in there (whole if you don't like too much garlic, take them out later. Sliced thinly or chopped finely if you like garlic) until fragrant.
Toss the greens in the pan, until just wilted but not yet soft. Salt them as you put them in the pan.
Toss the tomatoes in if they're not roasted. If the tomatoes are roasted, add after the greens are soft and wilted.
While cooking the greens, cook some pasta, larger ones like orecchiette work best or bow ties.
When pasta is done, toss in the greens and tomatoes with just a tad of the water (a couple of tablespoons?). The starch in the water will act as an emulsifier to let the oils adhere to the pasta
Toss until well coated, serve in a large bowl with lemon zest. Some might like a squirt of lemon juice.

Variations:
- you can serve this cold...add ricotta salata or other crumbly cheeses (feta would be ok too). Better if the tomatoes are not roasted
- when serving hot, you can add pine nuts, any hard italian cheeses (romano, parmesan, etc), fresh cracked peppers. A nice roasted chicken would be great with this.