Difficulty
Medium
Author of the publication
Irina Svetikova
IP
Professional chefs claim that with the help of gravy you can correct and improve the taste of almost any dish. Thanks to the use of flour, the sauce is thick and quite satisfying. It can be meat, mushroom, chicken, vegetable, creamy and tomato. Simple recipes attract a huge number of cooks due to the availability of ingredients.
How to make a classic gravy with flour and tomato paste?
The simplest sauce recipe consists of 3 main ingredients. You can add herbs and spices to the composition for taste.
What ingredients will be needed?
To prepare the sauce you will need:
- wheat flour – 30 g;
- tomato paste 25% – 2 tbsp. l.;
- salt and sugar - to taste;
- vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
- onions - optional;
- garlic – 2 shares;
- cold water – 500 ml;
- bay leaf – 1 pc. for smell;
- Italian herbs and spices – 1 tsp;
- parsley or other greens - 2-3 sprigs for decoration.
Step-by-step cooking process
You can make gravy from flour with tomatoes according to the following recipe:
- Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and add finely chopped onion to it. It should be fried for about 7 minutes. until golden brown.
- The garlic needs to be peeled and added to the onion. The products need to be fried for another 1-2 minutes so that the garlic releases its juice.
- While the onions are frying, you need to sift the flour. It should be added to the pan in thin layers: sprinkle over the fried foods and stir. This action must be repeated several times until the flour curdles.
- You can check readiness like this: the flour will become golden in color and the smell will resemble nut butter.
- When the flour curls into lumps, you need to add tomato paste to it. The dish must be constantly stirred with a spatula for 2-3 minutes.
- Next, reduce the heat to low.
- Using rubbing movements, you need to stir the tomato paste when it’s time to pour in cold water. This should be done slowly so that the liquid dissolves any lumps of flour.
- After all the water has been added to the rest of the products, you need to wait until it boils. At this stage you can introduce spices.
- In 3 min. Before the end of cooking, add sugar and salt as desired. The finished gravy needs to be simmered in a frying pan for another 15-20 minutes. Using greens, you can adjust the taste of the sauce, softening them by adding parsley.
Tomato paste up to 25% concentration does not give the desired smell and consistency. Therefore, you can increase the amount of paste by 3 tbsp. l. When you add warm or hot water, the flour instantly curdles. To prevent this effect from happening, you need to cool the water in the refrigerator.
What can I add?
A versatile dish that can be combined with a variety of foods. Therefore, sometimes products that have technological properties available are added to the recipe. These can be beans, beans, and various seasonings. To give a delicate taste, you can add cream, and to make the consistency more dense and viscous, you can add processed cheese.
Some chefs are experimenting with sauce recipes. Two types of oils are used as a base - olive and vegetable. The second is known to add a caramelized effect to products, making them darker. To preserve the taste and aesthetic appearance of products, you need to add the former. Olive oil brings out the taste and smell of a real tomato. And to add a fresh aroma, you can use thyme in combination with onions.
What dishes does it go with?
Flour-based tomato sauce can be served with pasta, pasta, vegetable side dishes and meat. The gravy goes best with unsalted main courses. In addition, the sauce can replace pickles and canned food, which are added to food to add flavor to side dishes.
Tip #3. How to prepare aromatic gravy for cutlets, meatballs and meatballs
Any gravy will make your dish juicy, appetizing and nutritious. It is suitable as an additive not only for fish, meat, chicken, liver, but also goes well with a simple side dish in the form of porridge, spaghetti or potatoes.
As you already understand, flour is needed to thicken the gravy, and herbs, garlic, spices, and herbs are used to improve the taste. Remember that the main purpose of gravy is to enhance the flavor of the dish, but not to overpower it.
How to cook:
- For cutlets and other minced meat dishes, standard white sauce is ideal. To do this, you need to melt the butter in a frying pan and add a tablespoon of flour to it - you need to sauté until it turns yellowish. Heat over low heat until the gravy thickens. To avoid lumps, you need to stir the sauce thoroughly. After this, add spices and herbs. You can enhance the taste of the gravy with sautéed vegetables: grated carrots, bell peppers, finely chopped onions.
- There is another interesting recipe for making gravy. If, after cooking meat or chicken in the oven, there is any rendered fat and liquid remaining, this will be an excellent base for gravy. You need to carefully scrape off what remains on the baking sheet with a spatula, pour in a couple of glasses of warm water and mix well. Carefully pour the mixture into a thick-bottomed bowl or frying pan. Take ¼ cup of flour and stir it in cold water - you should get the consistency of liquid sour cream. It is convenient to beat the mixture with a blender, and then the gravy will be without a single lump. Now you need to pour the diluted flour into the frying pan and mix well. All that remains is to bring it to a boil and until it thickens, stirring constantly so that it does not burn. Season with salt and spices, add herbs and garlic to your liking. The gravy is ready.
- There is a very tasty sauce made from vegetables and mushrooms that will enhance the taste of buckwheat porridge or pasta. Take a couple of onions, chop finely and sauté in sunflower oil until golden brown. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater and place in a frying pan. We chop the mushrooms and you can take chanterelles, champignons or oyster mushrooms. Stew together with vegetables. Place the finely chopped tomatoes in a frying pan and simmer until tender for about 15 minutes. While the gravy is preparing, you need to dilute ¼ cup of flour in cold water to make it look like sour cream and beat with a blender so that there are no lumps. Carefully pour the mixture into the frying pan with the gravy, stirring constantly. Simmer for another 5-7 minutes, then add salt, spices, and herbs. Delicious gravy is ready.
- If you are preparing meatballs or meatballs, then the gravy can be prepared in the same frying pan with them. About 15 minutes before the meatballs are ready, take ¼ cup of flour and stir in cold water until it reaches the consistency of sour cream. Add a little cream or sour cream and mix well. Salt, pepper and pour the mixture over the meatballs - now all that remains is to simmer the gravy with the lid closed for about 15 minutes on low heat.
We invite you to find out a delicious recipe for making meat gravy with vegetables, which will take very little time to prepare. It can be served with your favorite side dishes: potatoes, spaghetti, any porridge.
The recipe is interesting because the ingredients of the gravy can be varied according to your taste preferences.
Ingredients for making meat and vegetable gravy
- 400-500 grams of meat (you can take pork, beef, veal, chicken fillet).
- 50-70 grams of tomato paste or ketchup. During the summer months, you can use peeled tomatoes.
- 150-200 grams of sour cream.
- A couple of bell peppers.
- 1 carrot.
- 1 large onion.
- Vegetable oil for frying.
- Salt and spices to taste.
- A few cloves of garlic.
- Greenery.
Scheme for preparing meat gravy with vegetables
- First, let's prepare the ingredients. Peel the vegetables and cut them as you like - into cubes or strips. We recommend cutting the bell pepper into larger pieces so that its flavor in the dish is more pronounced, if you like it. Finely chop the garlic and herbs. Carrots can be chopped or grated on a coarse grater.
- Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan and first add the onion, saute it until transparent, then the carrots and bell pepper. Instead of tomato paste, feel free to use fresh tomatoes. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes to remove the skin easily. Chop the tomatoes with a knife or in a blender and simmer with the vegetables. You can safely experiment with your favorite vegetables, adding them at your discretion. Green beans, zucchini, cauliflower - add vegetables to your taste and come up with special gravy recipes. Onions, bell peppers and green beans go well with chicken fillet. Pork goes well with carrots, onions, peppers, and tomatoes.
- While the vegetables are stewing, let's start with the meat. We wash the pork, cut it into plates, beat it with a hammer and cut it into small oblong pieces. Now we add the meat to the vegetables and simmer until done.
- Add a little water and sour cream to the pan and continue simmering, stirring the ingredients occasionally. Salt, pepper and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- At the end, we season the gravy with garlic and herbs and we have a fragrant, hearty, thick gravy that goes perfectly with potatoes, rice, buckwheat, millet, and pasta. Chicken gravy goes well with pasta, potatoes, rice, and oatmeal.
Important! It is important to fry the bell pepper well with the vegetables so that it does not crunch in the finished gravy. You should also beat the meat well so that it is tender and soft and cooks quickly.
The gravy is ideal for main courses, and can be prepared in different ways.
We have already talked about thinner gravy options, and now we propose to find out a more satisfying dish due to its thickness.
Ingredients for preparing thick gravy with meat
- 400-500 grams of pork.
- 2 tablespoons flour.
- 200-250 grams of pork.
- A tablespoon of tomato paste.
- A few cloves of garlic.
- Sunflower oil for frying.
- Salt pepper. Spices to taste.
- Greenery.
Technology for preparing thick gravy with meat
- Let's take care of the meat first. It needs to be washed under running water, cut into plates, thoroughly beaten with a hammer and cut into small oblong pieces. You can beat already chopped meat, but this procedure will take more time.
- Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan, heat it well and send the prepared pork there. Add your favorite spices to it. It is not recommended to salt the meat at the beginning of frying, as it will lose a lot of cell juice and become tough.
- Place a mixture of sour cream and tomato paste in a saucer, add water and flour - all this can be blended with a blender so that there are no lumps from the flour. Water can be safely replaced with meat broth. Salt and pepper.
- We send the finished mixture to the meat, mix well, close the lid, reduce the heat and simmer over low heat. It is important to stir the gravy frequently to determine the degree of thickening and prevent burning.
- Cook the dish for about 15 minutes, season with garlic, herbs and bring to taste. Serve the gravy with rice, buckwheat, pasta, potatoes, and vegetable stew. Mashed potatoes are perfect too.
Important! If you don’t have tomato paste at home, you can safely replace it with fresh tomatoes or ketchup, which you always have in the refrigerator.
If there is no sour cream, then a couple of spoons of mayonnaise will also work.
Any gravy will perfectly complement your favorite food. If we talk about main courses, the gravy goes perfectly with fish, meat, chicken, liver, seafood, and cereals. With gravy you can diversify your usual diet and come up with interesting combinations. It can be prepared from a wide variety of products that you always have on hand at home. You can find a huge number of gravy recipes, and they differ from sauces in that they are served along with the main dish.
We invite you to find out the most popular gravies that will make your favorite dishes more filling, aromatic and tasty.
This gravy can be served with rice, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, buckwheat, and pasta. Mushrooms should be washed well in running water to remove impurities and dirt. If the mushrooms are dried, then they are pre-soaked in water and boiled. For fresh champignons and oyster mushrooms, these steps do not need to be performed. Cut the mushrooms into plastic pieces and the onions into cubes or half rings.
Add a slice of butter to a hot frying pan, melt and add the onion. When it turns caramel color, add the mushrooms - now fry everything for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the dish with a tablespoon of sifted flour (you can directly from the sieve over the frying pan - this way there will be no lumps), add a little cream or sour cream and simmer for a few more minutes. Salt, pepper, adjust to taste. Season the porridge or mashed potatoes with gravy, sprinkle with herbs and serve.
Potato gravy
For lovers of fish dishes, potato gravy is perfect. Take a thick-bottomed dish (cauldron, stewpan), pour vegetable oil into it and heat it. Add a teaspoon of cumin and cook until slightly darkened.
Place the peeled and chopped potatoes into a saucepan, add a pinch of turmeric and red hot pepper, then fry for about 10 minutes. Now you need to add water, add salt and after boiling, simmer for 15 minutes. You need enough water to cover the potatoes a little. Next, add a little fermented baked milk, a pinch of coriander and simmer until done. When the dish is ready, it needs to be seasoned with finely chopped pickled cucumber.
Vegetable gravy goes well with any pasta. It also goes well with all types of meat. For this gravy, peel and chop the onion, fry it in vegetable oil until transparent. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and remove the skin, then grind them in a blender and send them to the vegetables.
You can use tomato juice instead of tomatoes. Add your favorite herbs and spices to the gravy. Turmeric, basil, and oregano go well with vegetables. When the gravy is ready, add a little cream and simmer a little more. For those on a diet, cream may not be added.
Yesterday's porridge or pasta will go well with this gravy, and you won't notice any differences from a freshly prepared side dish. In the summer months, you can safely experiment with seasonal vegetables, inventing new combinations. And you can easily discover a new recipe for delicious gravy.
Gravy for meat
How to properly prepare gravy with flour? You need fresh vegetables to make a delicious gravy for your meat. Heat a frying pan, pour oil and fry the chopped pieces of meat. In another saucepan, heat the butter and sauté the onions and carrots in it. You can add bell pepper cut into strips. After 5-7 minutes, add finely chopped tomatoes, peeled.
When the vegetables are almost ready, add a couple of tablespoons of pre-sifted flour. Mix the mixture well and add a glass of water. When the vegetable gravy boils, put the fried meat into it and cook the gravy for about 35 minutes. At the end, we bring the gravy to taste with spices, add some salt and add a few cloves of chopped garlic to give the dish spiciness and an incredible aroma. If you like spicy food, you can add a little chili pepper to the dish. It is recommended to serve the dish hot, sprinkled with herbs.
Gravy made from flour and water
The easiest gravy to prepare contains the main ingredient – flour.
In this recipe it is needed to thicken the liquid mass. Roasted flour infuses the sauce with flavor and gives it a delicate hue.
However, it is considered dietary due to the presence of only 3 ingredients:
Squirrels | Fats | Carbohydrates | kcal |
1.2 g | 3.4 g | 5.6 g | 62 |
What ingredients will be needed?
To prepare you will need:
- wheat flour – 3-4 tbsp. l.;
- water – 300 ml;
- salt - to taste.
Step-by-step cooking process
Cooking process:
- The water needs to be brought to a boil.
- Flour should be fried over high heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Next, you need to cool the flour and add water to it, constantly stirring the future sauce.
- At the end you can add salt and spices to taste.
To make the gravy thicker, and to use it independently as an additional sauce, you need to cook it in a frying pan for about 10-15 minutes.
What dishes does it go with?
White sauce can be served with hot dishes and snacks. To diversify the taste, you can add fried onions, mushrooms and sour cream. The gravy is best suited for serving vegetable stews, poultry, broth and beef.
Classic recipe
This gravy can be used as a basis for creating new variations to suit your own taste. It is recommended to serve with spaghetti and meat.
Ingredients:
- 60 g flour,
- 55 g butter,
- 0.5 l of water,
- salt and spices.
If you wish, you can use broth instead of regular water.
Cooking method:
- Melt the butter over low heat. It is best to use a frying pan with thick walls. When it melts, add flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spatula.
- Reduce the heat and continue stirring until the lumps are completely dissolved.
- When the mixture turns a light brown tint, add hot liquid. It's important to keep stirring.
- Add spices and salt.
- When everything comes to a boil, turn off the heat and leave to simmer for a few more minutes.
Milk gravy
The milk base in the gravy adds a sweetish flavor to side dishes and meat dishes.
How to make gravy using flour and milk.
Milk does not need to be boiled and cooled before cooking.
What ingredients will be needed?
Ingredients for cooking:
- flour – 1 tbsp. l.;
- milk – 200 ml;
- butter – 30 g;
- basil – 20 g;
- parsley - for decoration;
- salt - to taste.
Step-by-step cooking process
You can make gravy from flour according to this recipe as follows:
- The flour needs to be heated in a frying pan, then add butter to it.
- After 5-7 minutes. you need to pour in the milk and stir the mixture until it thickens.
- Then you can salt the sauce and add herbs.
What dishes does it go with?
Milk sauce is best combined with meat, delicacies and seafood. Despite the presence of milk in the composition, the technological features of the sauce allow it to be mixed with hot main courses and cold appetizers.
Description
Hello, dear readers of our site. Today I will tell you how to prepare gravy with flour according to a classic recipe in several ways, and I will also share recipes for different types based on gravy made from flour.
When preparing even a cold appetizer, not to mention the main course, do not forget about the sauce. There is a very simple option that will not only add deliciousness, satiety and completeness, but also correct inaccuracies in preparing the food and it is called gravy with flour. Not only chefs, but also strict nutritionists advise using it in food. The recipe for flour-based sauce appeared quite a long time ago, during the reign of the princes, but having passed through the centuries, it did not lend itself to much change, only a way was invented to make the gravy less liquid. You choose the additives for the sauce yourself, including what’s in your refrigerator or on the kitchen shelves.
What makes the gravy special is its composition: flour and water. Which is the simplest sauce and requires minimal preparation time. But you should use wheat flour, since the other flour contains less gluten and most likely the sauce will not work. The cooking process will not be difficult and can be completed by a novice cook. Conducting experiments with flavoring additives or consistency is not prohibited, and it is your preferences in choosing the composition and the final result. It can be used not only as an addition to meat or fish, but also to pasta, cereals and even dessert.
Flour sauce with mushrooms
The gravy in this recipe is similar to the recipe for stewing meat.
Therefore, it can be made separately or together with beef or pork.
What ingredients will be needed?
Ingredients:
- mushrooms “Champignons” – 400 g;
- onions – 2 pcs.;
- carrots – 1 pc.;
- water – 500 ml;
- sour cream – 3 tbsp. l.;
- flour – 2 tbsp. l.;
- oil - for frying;
- salt and pepper - to taste.
Step-by-step cooking process
First you need to prepare the products:
- The onion needs to be cut into cubes or chopped in a blender.
- Carrots should be grated on a fine grater.
- Then, together with the onions, you need to fry them in a frying pan or simmer in a cauldron.
- After 7 min. The fire should be reduced to minimum.
- Mushrooms should be cut into cubes. They need to be added to the fried vegetables, and simmer everything for about 20 minutes.
- In a separate container, you need to dissolve the flour in warm water so that there is no sediment.
- The liquid should be poured into the pan with the vegetables and mushrooms, then salt and add pepper to taste. The dish needs to be simmered for 10 minutes.
- When the water boils, you need to add sour cream to the pan and bring to a boil again.
- After turning off the heat, let the sauce sit for 10 minutes.
What dishes does it go with?
Flour sauce with mushrooms will be a good addition to pasta, buckwheat porridge, and baked potatoes. Mushroom gravy adds a new flavor to a dish, no matter what the side dish is made of.
Cream sauce
The technology for preparing cream sauce allows you to change the recipe and add milk to the composition to obtain a milk sauce, sour cream to obtain a sour cream sauce, and cream. Depending on the ingredient, the gravy takes on the same name.
What ingredients will be needed?
Ingredients:
- flour – 1 tbsp. l.;
- butter – 20 g;
- cream 20% fat – 200 ml;
- pepper and salt - to taste.
You can also add white wine so that the gravy can be served with steaks and medium-rare meats.
Step-by-step cooking process
All ingredients should be at room temperature.
Cooking process:
- Fry the flour in a frying pan and add butter to it.
- Cream should be poured in after 10 minutes. after frying the flour. Boil the mixture for 2 minutes, then add salt and pepper as desired.
If you add wine, then the amount of butter should be increased to 100 g, and the cream should be omitted. There should be 2 times less flour. The wine should be poured in after combining the butter and flour in the frying pan. When the wine has evaporated, you can add salt and pepper to the finished sauce.
What dishes does it go with?
A cream based sauce can be added to the stock to create a rich white sauce. In its finished form, it can be combined with meat and fish. Cream with a lower fat content will not give a rich taste, and the mixture will turn out more liquid. It is better to use additional ingredients in this case - cheese, herbs, olives. Wine sauce based on butter and flour harmonizes with hot side dishes, vegetable appetizers and baked fish. By adding garlic, acid or cheese, the sauce acquires a characteristic smell and a spicy aftertaste.
Cheese sauce
The main ingredient contains a lot of fats and proteins, so it is best to prepare cheese sauce based on hard varieties.
What ingredients will be needed?
To prepare you will need:
- flour – 2 tbsp. l.;
- milk – 200 ml;
- butter – 60 g;
- olive oil – 1 tbsp. l.;
- grated cheese – 200 g;
- salt to taste.
Step-by-step cooking process
Cooking process:
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan and add flour. The mixture needs to be fried.
- Milk should be added after 4 minutes. After adding flour, add portions and slowly so that there are no lumps. The ingredients must be brought to a boil.
- As soon as the milk mass begins to curdle, you need to add cheese, stirring it occasionally.
- The butter should be added at the end along with the seasonings.
- When the cheese has melted, the sauce is ready.
What dishes does it go with?
It is best to combine cheese sauce with flour products - bread snacks, meat, pasta. Such dishes will absorb the taste of whey, giving a special piquancy to the finished dishes.
Sour Cream Gravy
Ingredients :
- 1 tbsp. spoon of flour,
- 2 tbsp. vegetable broth,
- bulb,
- 0.6 tbsp. sour cream,
- 2 tbsp. spoons of butter.
Cooking method:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the main ingredient. Stirring constantly, fry until transparent.
- Pour in the broth and, stirring, boil and cook for 12 minutes.
- Chop the onion and fry separately.
- Add sour cream and onions to the already thickened sauce.
- Mix everything thoroughly and turn off the heat.
Meat gravy like in kindergarten
The peculiarity of the recipe is to use only natural products without adding spices and seasonings. The dish is suitable for diabetics and people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases.
What ingredients will be needed?
For cooking you will need:
- pork pulp – 800 g;
- onions – 2 pcs.;
- carrots – 1 pc.;
- premium flour - 2 tbsp. l.;
- fresh tomato paste – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
- butter 72% – 20 g;
- water – 400 ml;
- salt to taste.
Step-by-step cooking process
You can make gravy from flour according to this recipe like this:
- The pork needs to be cut into cubes. At the same time, remove all fatty parts and veins. The tenderloin should be marbled pink.
- Pieces of meat should be placed on the bottom of a baking sheet and salted. Within 15 min. it needs to be baked at 200 degrees. There is no need to grease the pan with oil so that the released meat juice does not stick to the walls of the pan.
- In a frying pan you need to fry finely chopped onion and grated carrots.
- The finished meat needs to be stirred by adding fried vegetables to it. The dish with vegetables should be returned to the oven for another 20 minutes.
- In a hot frying pan, melt the butter and combine it with flour.
- In a saucepan you need to mix water with tomato paste and dissolve until smooth. It should then be poured into the flour. When the water boils, the gravy needs to be cooled.
- Pour hot gravy over the finished meat and stir. The dish must be baked again in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes.
If there is not enough water, you should reduce the temperature to 170 degrees without adding water. When finished, you can add salt to the gravy.
What dishes does it go with?
Kindergarten-style sauce is best served with mashed potatoes. The universal recipe can be combined with any side dishes.
Ingredients
As mentioned earlier, for cooking you will need a minimum set of products, which are found in almost every kitchen. Surely you have flour, the most common, wheat flour. Eat? Of course have. Look in the refrigerator, is there butter there? What breakfast is complete without a buttered baguette? Look, there's a piece of butter lying around. So, for 4 servings of gravy you need:
60 g wheat flour (required)
55 g butter
500 ml water at room temperature
Salt, spices, pepper
But you can make a more satisfying option by replacing the water with broth - meat, chicken, fish or mushroom and vegetable broth.
I would like to give you some recommendations to simplify the process of preparing flour gravy.
- Use only butter, without replacing it with spread and margarine. You can make it cheaper with vegetable oil, but the quality and taste are noticeably different.
- Watch the cooking of the butter so as not to overheat it, since this will not affect the taste by being bitter and unappetizing, as will the released carcinogens affecting your blood vessels.
- To prevent the oil from burning, treat the frying pan with a drop of sunflower oil before heating. Do not cook on high gas, choose medium temperature, which will allow the butter to melt smoothly until it has a beautiful golden color, preserving the aroma of the cream.
It was previously mentioned that it is worth using premium flour, but if you don’t have it, you will have to add a little more to add thickness.
So, now about the process of preparing the basic recipe for gravy from flour:
- Heat a frying pan or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a drop of vegetable oil and melt the butter.
- Add flour, not gradually, but all at once. Use a whisk to mix it with the oil. Be sure to mix thoroughly and rub out any lumps that form. Fry the flour until golden brown. Control this process, as it only takes a moment from golden to brown and burnt.
- When the desired shade of flour is ready, add liquid, also using a whisk. It is advisable to heat the water or broth before adding. Mix the ingredients thoroughly without forming lumps.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and spices to your taste.
- Leave to simmer on low gas for about 5-7 minutes.
- When ready, transfer the gravy to a suitable container to cool and acquire the required consistency. Flour gravy
I would like to share with you one more tip on how to add thickness if the gravy turns out to be runny. Dissolve a little flour in water and pour your sauce into it, but not vice versa. This is an important point! Stir thoroughly. Are there any lumps formed? Use a blender. Place the container with the sauce on the burner and bring to a boil.
Ketchup and sausage sauce
The main ingredient is not meat, but sausages, which makes the gravy more versatile in terms of the choice of ingredients. Sausages can be replaced with boiled or doctor's sausage.
What ingredients will be needed?
To prepare you need:
- sausages – 300 g;
- carrots – 1 pc.;
- onion – 1 pc.;
- “light” ketchup – 1 tbsp. l.;
- tomato – 1 pc.;
- flour – 2 tbsp. l.;
- water – 300 ml;
- vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. l.;
- fresh or dried herbs - to taste.
- salt and pepper to taste.
Step-by-step cooking process
Cooking process:
- Vegetables need to be washed and cut into cubes. Carrots can be grated.
- Fry the vegetables in oil until the carrots become soft.
- Sausages need to be cut into rings and added to vegetables.
- Tomato paste should be added after 10 minutes. after frying the vegetables.
- After the pasta you need to add the tomato.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour and water. The mixture should be poured into the pan and brought to a boil.
- Simmer the sauce over low heat for 8 minutes.
After cooking, you can add spices, herbs and salt.
What dishes does it go with?
If there are sausages in the recipe, this sauce can be combined with side dishes without adding meat products. It is best served with fried or mashed potatoes, pasta and porridge.
Chicken gravy with flour
To prepare chicken-based sauce, you need to choose only fresh chicken fillet that has not been previously frozen.
What ingredients will be needed?
Ingredients:
- chicken fillet – 500 g;
- water – 2 l;
- salt - to taste;
- carrots – 2 pcs.;
- onion – 1 pc.;
- flour – 1 tbsp. l.;
- garlic – 1 clove;
- tomato paste – 1 tbsp. l.;
- peppercorns – 6-7 pcs.;
- bay leaf and herbs - to taste.
Step-by-step cooking process
Flour gravy should be made in 2 stages - preparing the broth and frying:
- The onion needs to be cut into rings and the carrots grated.
- The greens and garlic should be chopped.
- Vegetables need to be fried in a frying pan for 10 minutes, then add flour.
- Chicken fillet should be cut into cubes and boiled in a separate container in 2 liters of water. Meat must be added to vegetables.
- The broth can be salted, after which it should be mixed with the tomato. Then you need to pour it into the fillet with vegetables. The dish needs to be simmered under the lid for about 20 minutes.
- When ready, you can add bay leaf and spices.
What dishes does it go with?
Chicken sauce should be served with a simple side dish - porridge, buckwheat, boiled rice. The gravy goes well with mashed potatoes made with milk.
Liver sauce with flour
100 g of liver contains only 200 kcal, as well as selenium, phosphorus, zinc and B vitamins. Despite the fact that it is considered an offal, it can be used to prepare a hearty sauce for any side dish.
What ingredients will be needed?
Ingredients:
- beef liver – 400 g;
- onion – 1 pc.;
- water – 1 l;
- butter – 25 g;
- wheat flour – 50 g;
- salt, pepper and herbs - to taste.
Step-by-step cooking process
Cooking algorithm:
- The liver must not be completely thawed and rinsed under cold water. Next, cut the piece into cubes and put them in a saucepan.
- The liver should be filled with water and brought to a boil. After boiling, you need to simmer it for about 30 minutes. At this point you can salt the water and add pepper.
- In a separate container, chop the onion and add to the liver, simmering the dish for another 5 minutes.
- Butter should be added to the saucepan when the water has completely evaporated.
- In a deep bowl you need to combine flour with 100 ml of water.
- Pour the flour mixture into the saucepan and simmer the sauce for another 5 minutes, stirring the contents occasionally.
What dishes does it go with?
Liver-based gravy can be served with side dishes such as pasta, rice and potatoes.
Culinary Basics: Roux or Why Fry Flour
In comments on recipes for dishes or sauces that use flour as a thickener, the question often arises as to why pre-fry the flour and whether it is possible to skip this step altogether by simply stirring the flour with water. And every time I explain why it’s still better to fry it. And since I am a lazy person, I decided to write a detailed answer to this question and direct those asking to this article.
WHAT IT IS?
Roux (French roux) is wheat flour fried in fat. Used as a thickener in stews, sauces and soups.
WHY DO THIS?
- Roasting flour increases its thickening properties due to the fact that heat treatment inhibits the activity of a certain enzyme.
- A dish that uses roux will never taste like raw flour—roasting gives the flour a richer, more satisfying flavor. The longer we fry, the darker the color and richer the taste.
- Toasted flour, when mixed with liquid, forms much less lumps than raw flour. But with the right approach, it doesn’t form at all.
FLOUR
Roux can be made from any wheat flour. But it is worth considering this point: the lower the protein content (and, accordingly, the higher the starch content), the higher the thickening ability of the flour. Simply put, cake flour will thicken more than bread flour. There is also such a thing as all-purpose flour - this includes almost all premium flour that is produced in the vast expanses of the former USSR. It gives an average good result.
FAT
The best option for making roux is melted butter. But other options are also possible - regular butter (but with a fat content of at least 80%), vegetable oils (refined and unrefined), pork and beef fat.
TECHNOLOGY
We take flour and fat in a ratio of 3 to 2. That is, for 30 g of flour (heaped tablespoon) you need 20 g of fat. Heat the fat in a saucepan over medium heat, add flour, stirring constantly. Fry, stirring constantly so as not to burn, until the desired condition:
- White ru – barely beginning to darken. It's ready almost immediately after signs of boiling appear. It is used in white sauces such as bechamel and in other dishes where the lightest shade of the sauce or gravy is important.
- Light roux is golden in color, with a slight nutty aroma. White takes a little longer to cook. The most striking example of the use of light roux is veloute sauce.
- Dark roux (not to be confused with burnt flour) is brown in color with a strong nutty odor. Used in the preparation of brown sauces (such as espagnole) and dishes where a dark color is desired.
The darker the roux, the weaker its thickening properties and the stronger the flavor.
I give an approximate ratio of three types of roux to the same amount of liquid for the same thickening effect:
- White ru – 100 g per 1 liter,
- Light roux – 125 g per 1 liter,
- Dark roux – 250 g per 1 liter.
The finished roux should have a uniform consistency, without lumps. Visually, the correct roux looks like wet, smooth sea sand - it is moist, but the fat is not cut off from it. If during the process you see that something is wrong with the consistency, adjust it by adding additional flour or fat.
If the roux is clearly burnt, throw it in the trash, because... it has already lost its condensing abilities.
The roux can be used immediately or transferred to a container, refrigerated and used later.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS?
Next, the roux is mixed with liquid (water, broth, milk, etc.). How to do it right:
- The heat under the pan with fried flour when pouring in the liquid should not be too high, otherwise the risk of lump formation increases.
- The liquid poured in should not be too cold - the roux may harden and, again, give an uneven consistency.
- The liquid should be poured in carefully, because... fat from hot roux may splatter and cause burns.
The thickening properties of roux are at their maximum when the temperature of the liquid with which it is mixed reaches 93 degrees - that is, just before boiling.
I hope the topic of the advisability of frying flour has been fully covered. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments.
Sweet raisin gravy
You can make gravy from sweet flour using raisins. It should be used as a savory sauce.
What ingredients will be needed?
To prepare you will need:
- flour – 2 tbsp. l.;
- butter – 3 tbsp. l.;
- onion – 1 pc.;
- sugar - to taste;
- spices - to taste;
- semi-dry white wine – 100 ml;
- raisins – ½ cup (200 ml).
Step-by-step cooking process
Cooking process:
- Sweet and sour gravy must be prepared starting with frying the flour. To do this, you need to combine it with melted butter in a frying pan and dilute it to a medium consistency with water.
- Add chopped onion and spices (cloves, black pepper) to the flour.
- In a separate container you need to burn the sugar - put it in a frying pan and cook for 5 minutes. warm up.
- Burnt sugar should be added to the gravy and stirred. When the sauce boils, it should be strained and combined with wine. If desired, you can add 1 tsp. lemon juice.
- Boil the raisins in a saucepan and add them to the gravy.
- The resulting sauce needs to be boiled in a frying pan for another 5-7 minutes.
What dishes does it go with?
It is best to serve fish dishes, potato and rice cutlets with sauce. For simple side dishes like pasta and buckwheat, wine sauce with raisins is not suitable.
Milk Gravy
This sauce can be used both for regular dishes and for desserts, adding a little sugar in the latter case.
Ingredients :
- 2 tbsp. spoons of butter
- 2 tbsp. spoons of flour,
- 500 ml milk,
- salt.
Cooking method:
- Take a dry frying pan and toast the flour until it smells slightly nutty. Pour into a plate to cool.
- Mix a couple of spoons with salt and add milk in portions to prevent the formation of lumps.
- Place the saucepan on the fire and cook everything for 5 minutes.
- Then add oil, stir and boil again.
Useful tips and tricks
Each sauce has its own cooking secrets, and it doesn’t matter whether it is based on flour or deli meats.
To simplify the cooking process, you can use the secrets of culinary experts:
- Creamy sauces based on dairy products can be combined with tomato paste. To do this, just combine milk or sour cream with flour, then add 1 tsp. tomato paste or juice.
- To prevent the flour from curling into lumps when adding water or oil, the second (choose the one you need) should be at room temperature. Hot flour does not combine well with cold butter, so it is advisable to melt it in advance.
- Any gravy does not like to be rushed. Vegetables should simmer slowly, absorbing all the flavor characteristics of the food.
- Sweet sauces should be served with spicy foods. If the meat is spicy, the gravy will soften the harshness of the pepper, but will add a piquant aroma and flavor.
- You can use celery root as a spice. It gives the dish a tart taste without saturating it with spiciness.
To make the gravy soft and juicy, you need to simmer the flour for a long time. The darker it is, the more noticeable the nutty smell. And for a unique taste, you can experiment with adding soy sauce, rice vinegar and corn starch. As a result, the gravy turns out dense, rich and thick.