Gravy & Sauces


(Steve) #1

‘I come from a family that considers gravy as a beverage.’

I love gravy & sauces, keto makes it even better because I get to use heavy cream!

Basic Creamy Keto Gravy
First you need some stock, bone broth, sous vide juice or a water/bouillon mixture.
I save every drop of my sous vide juices in a container, store it in the freezer to accumulate 2 cups worth. The finished gravy should yield four servings or two if it is really good.


A basic sauce for me needs a little flavour so I mince one clove of garlic and 2 Tbsp minced or diced onion. Sometimes I add diced mushrooms. It needs some fat for the saute, 1 Tbsp of ghee or butter.

I saute to about this stage.

Add 2 cups of stock and start reducing over medium heat stirring in the fond. Depending on the size of your pan it should evaporate or reduce in about 10 minutes or so.
At this stage you can add in your aromatics but this gravy is a basic one.
Reduce by at least half the original volume, the longer you go the stronger the flavours.


This about as reduced as I like to go. It is also the holding stage while the rest of the meal is tended to. It only takes 2-3 minutes to finish from the stage.

When you are ready for the gravy, bring it up to a really good simmer over a medium high heat. Pour in about a 1/3 cup of heavy cream, adjust aromatics, salt. pepper herbs etc…
Stir constantly scraping the sides of the pan. It should thicken fast.
This gravy has little crunchy fat pieces that are stirred in right before serving.

Sometimes I warm my perfectly cooked medium rare sous vide beef in the hot gravy just before serving.

For Curried sous vide chicken, I crisp the skin and serve the gravy on the bottom like this


Chaffles
What Did You Keto Today? The Trilogy!
(Bob M) #2

This means I’ll have to stop drinking the sous vide liquid. I usually pour it into a cup and drink it.


(Steve) #3

This is my standard fast hollandaise sauce in the foolproof one bowl method.

Hollandaise Sauce Banting/Keto

In a double boiler add the following:

1 egg yolk

4 Tbsp. butter cubed

1 Tbsp. water

½ tsp. lemon juice

½ tsp. Dijon

Tarragon or dill (optional)

Heat the mixture over very hot ‘not rolling boiling’ water

Constantly whisk for about 6 minutes until desired thickness

  • DO NOT STOP WHISKING or it will separate

  • If the water is too hot, pull the top pot off the steam while whisking

  • Sauce for 3 eggs benedict


Chaffles
What Did You Keto Today? The Trilogy!
(Jane) #4

I made this and it was delicious! Used fresh dill. Hubby said he doesn’t normally care for Hollandaise sauce because it’s so bland but this was tangy and flavorful.

Thanks!


(Steve) #5

Thank you Jane, It looks really good with the sliced ham too


(Steve) #6

Crispy Fat Pieces
These are the little crispy fat pieces that I fold in to the Basic Creamy Keto Gravy just before serving. I always keep the tallow for searing beef that comes out of sous vide, It gives the meat a nice rich crust.


#7

So, I can make a keto turkey gravy without using any guar gums (ick, ick, ick - I hate that stuff) or any other non-flour thickeners? This is what I want! Thank you!


(Bob M) #8

I hate to say this, but you could probably use flour (or roux). Each tablespoon of flour is about 6 grams of carbs. Usually, it’s 1 Tbsp of flour per cup of stock/gravy. I don’t know about you, but I don’t eat anywhere near a cup of gravy. Maybe 1/2 a cup? 3 grams carbs isn’t bad.

I’ve tried a lot of thickeners, and I generally resort to making a light roux and using that.


#9

I haven’t knowingly eaten any grains since I started this 6 months ago. I would prefer to not use flour for a roux, if possible. I was wondering if this recipe might work. I know that sauciers use butter and cream to help reduce and thicken sauces, but those are all roux-based, I’m sure.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #10

A small quantity of xanthan gum works as a thickener, but use it sparingly. When I tried it, I think I used too much, and it gave the gravy a nasty taste and rubbery consistency.


#11

I REALLY hate all gums. I just can’t stand the consistency that they create. I’m really trying to create a gravy/ sauce without those additives. Fingers crossed.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #12

To be honest, I haven’t really found anything that works better for creating a roux than flour or cornstarch. I use cornstarch, because you need less to get the same amount of thickening as wheat flour, and I figure that if I’m making a pint of gravy, the carbs in a teaspoon of cornstarch aren’t going to amount to very much per serving.

That said, if almond or coconut flour worked even half as well, I’d use that instead. But alas, . . . (sigh).


(Bob M) #13

You can supposedly use butter or even cream, but they don’t provide any thickening. Or at least I haven’t been able to get them to do that. If you boil the sauce down and add, you get a “sauce”.

If you want gravy, though, you need more. I’ve tried a bunch of different thickeners, and they do work. The problem is that I make “gravy” at most a few times per year. It’s really easy to miscalculate the amount of thickener and then you have to remember how to add them (some require boiling, some don’t). It’s so much easier to use a small amount of flour, or make a roux (added butter!) and add that. Granted, I actually HAVE flour lying around (Einkorn flour). But I also don’t use it but a few times per year.