VEGETARIAN GRAVY

Vegetarian Gravy image

Provided by James Peterson

Categories Sauce Onion Vegetable Side Roast Thanksgiving Vegetarian Fennel Root Vegetable Carrot Turnip Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher

Yield About 2 cups

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1 medium onion, peeled, quartered, and broken into large chunks
1 large carrot, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 fennel bulb, green fronds removed and bulb cut into quarters
1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into quarters
5 ounces mushrooms, such as crimini or shiitake, trimmed and cut into quarters (about 2 cups total)
4 medium tomatoes, cut into quarters and seeded
15 sprigs fresh or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
3 cups of vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, chervil, or tarragon (optional)
For thickening (optional):
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Spread the vegetables and thyme in a single layer in a dry heavy-bottomed flameproof roasting pan. Roast until any juices released by the vegetables have caramelized on the bottom of the pan, about 2 hours. Stir the vegetables using a wooden spoon to scrape up the crust on the bottom and sides of the pan. Continue roasting, stirring occasionally, until there is a brown crust covering the bottom of the pan, about 1 hour.
Transfer the pan to the stove and add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, and continue boiling until the water dries out and caramelizes on the bottom of the pan, 3 to 5 minutes. With the pan over high heat, continue to caramelize the vegetables for 10 more minutes, adding drops of water to any dry spots and using a wooden spoon to scrape up the crust forming on the bottom of the pan.
Add 3 cups of vegetable broth or water to the roasting pan and bring to a simmer while scraping the caramelized juices on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Continue simmering and scraping for about 1 minute.
Pour the liquid and vegetables through a fine-mesh strainer set over a blender, pushing down on the vegetables to release their juices. Add about 3/4 cup of the vegetables to the blender (discard the remaining vegetables) and purée on high for 1 minute. Strain the gravy again, pushing on any remaining solids to help thicken the gravy. Season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley, chervil, or tarragon, if desired. DO AHEAD: Gravy can be made ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. Reheat in a small saucepan over moderate heat.