A Pot of Gold ~

Also known as Make Ahead Gravy. 

If you are anything like me, come the holiday, any holiday, I want to cook for my family.   And I love to find a few dishes that I can make ahead of time and freeze.  Gravy is one of those dishes that I like to get made beforehand.   When I was a young cook, learning to make a good gravy seemed overwhelming to me.  All the hustle and bustle of making it the very last minute and getting everything on the table seemed pretty nightmarish.  So I am here to give you directions on how to make this easy and delicious gravy, ahead of your dinner guests arrving.  And to me, it's like having a "pot of gold".  Well, almost....

It's adapted from Ina Garten, and it's so easy and delicious.  It also can be made ahead and kept in your fridge a few days.  Which means no stressing out over a holiday meal, held up while the cook is preparing the gravy to be served with dinner.  Just heat it up slowly in a heavy pan while your meat is resting and voila. 

Oh and if you want it to go along with beef, just change your stock to beef stock.  Trust me, it is very adaptable.

Ingredients:

2 large onions, sliced thinly
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup floour
1 Tablespoon of Brandy
2 cups of chicken stock (yes, boxed is fine)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large Dutch Oven, melt butter over medium low heat.  Add your chopped onion and stir well.  Place burner on low and stir.  Now, here is the only tricky part and it's not really tricky.   You want to carmelize your onions, which can take up to 45 minutes.  So, keep your burner on low and every few minutes come stir them. And don't try to rush this part, it makes all the difference in the world.  Trust me and you'll have a wonderful gravy to serve at any meal.  Here are a few pictures.  And you want them to be carmelized, not just browned.

After 15 minutes, just starting to brown.

After 30 minutes, getting nice and brown.

 

After 45 minutes, now add the flour and stir.  See, aren't they gorgeous?

 



Cook the  caramalized onion/flour mixture on low for 5 minutes, randomly stirring.  Add your chicken stock slowly and turn up heat to a near boil, stirring continuously.  After it comes up to the boil, turn it down to a simmer and let cook for about 5 more minutes until thickened and golden brown.  Stir in the brandy, then taste and add salt and pepper if you need it.

Let the gravy cool down and use an immersion blender to smooth out any onion pieces.  Either place in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in a freezer container for up to a month.

Having the gravy done ahead of time, is definetly a good thing.