Column: Bill King, Washington Avenue

Now gravy, a sauce made from meat juices, is common around the world but is more commonly used in the United States.

Gravy did not originate in England but more commonly is used in countries once ruled or governed by the British.

The U.S. has the most variations of gravies.

We have chocolate gravy: Chocolate gravy is made with fat, flour, cocoa powder and sometimes a small amount of sugar.

Then there’s cream gravy: Cream gravy is made with 1 to 1 1/2 cups of milk added to roux. It is seasoned with salt and pepper. It is common to the American South and served with chicken-fried steak.

Egg gravy: Egg gravy is a breakfast gravy that is served over biscuits. Meat drippings (usually from bacon) and flour are used to make a thick roux. The roux is salted and peppered to taste, water and milk (even parts) are added, and the liquid is brought back up to boil. A well-beaten egg is then slowly added while the gravy is stirred or whisked swiftly, cooking the egg immediately and separating it in to small fragments into the gravy.

Giblet gravy: Giblet gravy has the giblet of turkey or chicken added when it is to be served with those types of poultry, or uses stock made from giblets.

Onion gravy: Onion gravy is made from large quantities of slowly sweated, chopped onions mixed with stock and wine. Commonly served with bangers and mash, chops, or other grilled or fried meat which by the way of cooking method would not produce their own gravy.

Red-eyed gravy: Red-eyed gravy is made from the drippings of ham fried in a skillet or frying pan. The pan is deglazed with coffee. This gravy is a staple of Southern cuisine and is usually served over ham, grits or biscuits.

Spiced gravy: Spiced gravy is a gravy originated in ancient India. Used with meats, it is very tasty, eaten by itself it becomes offensive to the tastebuds.

Tomato gravy: Tomato gravy is not really a gravy, but a kind of tomato sauce, made from canned or fresh tomatoes, flour and usually a small amount of fat. Another Southern dish.

Vegetable gravy: Vegetable gravy is made with boiled or roasted vegetables. Gravy can be made with vegetable broth. Wine can be used to darken the broth and corn starch as a thickener.

White gravy: White gravy (sawmill gravy in Southern cuisine) is a gravy typically used in biscuits and chicken-fried steak. It is essentially a Béchamel sauce, with the roux being made from meat drippings and flour. Milk or cream is usually added and thickened by roux, once prepared, black pepper and bits of mild sausage or chicken livers are sometime added. Besides white and sawmill gravy, common names include country gravy, milk gravy and sausage gravy.

But wait, if you’ve gone this far, you deserve a second helping.

Gravy is not just a gravy, it’s the name of a book, “They Popped the Hood and Found Gravy on the Dipstick.”

But wait! There’s more.

Gravy is the name of a rock band from New Orleans. A punk rock band from North Carolina. A magazine. An employment service in the Seattle area.

But wait! There’s more.

Gravy is the name of an activist of any and everything (Wavy Gravy). A dog food (Gravy Train). The name of a DJ service (Laughing Gravy Entertainment). A job description (“He’s on a gravy train”).

This article was inspired by a secret recipe my wife, Bev, had for hamburger gravy. When Bev gets the urge to fix hamburger gravy, the kitchen is cleared, drinks of your choice are passed out, the TV is turned on and an “I’ll call you when it’s ready” message is issued.

We have begged and pleaded to no avail. The question, “Who’s going to make it when you’re gone?” brings a laugh and the remark, “Poor baby,” followed by a hearty laugh.

Thus ends my tale of gravy. Bon appetite.

Gravy, anyone?

 

Albert Lea resident Bill King is a member of the Washington Avenue Writers Group.