Vegan & Gluten-Free "Thanksgiving" (or any day!) Gravy

I developed this recipe in anticipation of reviving a past-beloved Burning Man Thursday meal, though we've yet to be able to make it on playa because the event is still on hold for pandemic reasons. [[see edit below]]

Hubby and I both thought it was quite good right from the get go, but I can also say it's been tested and approved by family and extended family alike -- i.e. I made some for Thanksgiving this year (2021) so that my vegetarian niece and gluten-free sister-in-law could indulge....and everyone liked it, including my non-vegan, non-gluten-free brother who went back for seconds even knowing there were no meat drippings or regular flour to be found.

Anyways, here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

1. 4 cups (which is one of those 32-ounce storebought boxes) of (gluten-free) Vegetable Broth -- I use "Kitchen Basics" brand. Anything homemade of course works, too.
2. 6¼ Tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast.
3. 2 Tablespoons of gluten-free Tamari, or gluten-free Soy Sauce, or Bragg's Liquid Aminos.
4. 1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard.
5. ½ cup of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour. *
6. 2 pinches of Dried Sage Leaves, rubbed to crush.
7. 2 pinches of Dried Savory, rubbed to crush.
8. TO TASTE: Salt, Black Pepper, Roasted Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder (I usually go for at least 1 full teaspoon of each; you can of course use more or less to your preference).

* I have found that pretty much any storebought or homemade mix of Gluten-Free flours works; just make sure yours doesn't have Xanthan Gum in it. (Xanthan Gum will lead to a giant gravy brick.)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add the first 7 ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Whisk over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until the gravy thickens.
3. Stir in the spices listed at #8, to taste, and continue simmering over low heat -- whisking/stirring occasionally -- until there is no more “floury” flavor; around 10-15 minutes.  (If you don't have these particular things on hand, you can use whatever herbs and spices you like.)

The recipe can be extended if you want more gravy.  While simply multiplying the liquids and spices by however many multiples of the recipe you choose to make, works -- doing the same with the flour is too much. Therefore, it's better to just add a little more flour at a time until you achieve a thickness you like.  For example, when we made a 12x batch, it needed only 5 cups of flour rather than the full 6 that simple multiplication would dictate.  (This gradual process will prevent it from getting too thick.)  Also, you'll need to simmer it longer due to the additional flour content; for example, our 12x batch needed 35-45 minutes.

[[EDITED TO ADD]] Burning Man happened this year (2022)!!  And the gravy was a hit.  Enough so that we ran out, and will definitely whip up a bigger batch next time. ❤  Also, I originally neglected to take a picture of the gravy, and intended to rectify that with a photo from the meal on playa -- but I forgot to do that, too!  So I just made a small pot today (9/14/22) to pour over some leftover chicken and mashed potatoes, plus a quick homemade cranberry sauce....and I'm using some special gifts as the backdrop. 😁

This post is an original recipe that I created from scratch.

My goal is to share my love of food simply -- without all the fluff (unless it's Marshmallow Fluff!), long winded stories, excessive and repetitive photos, or incessant rambling that I see on other blogs.  I personally tend to skip over all that, just scrolling straight to the bottom in hopes of finding the recipe right away.  Therefore, I hope you appreciate the brevity above.

** You'll also never find ads here. **

If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or

contact me directly using the form near the top of the right-hand column.

Around the World in Foodventures (Honduras: POLLO CHUCO)

This episode of "Around the World in Foodventures" is brought to you by the Burners Without Borders Fall Newsletter 2021.  In it, there was a call for assistance from Recipes for Resilience 2.0.  You can read the link above for details of what Recipes for Resilience is and what it means to migratory communities -- but essentially they were looking for people to test recipes that will be included in an upcoming cookbook featuring foods from shelters along a migration journey.  I was happy to jump in, and selected Honduran Pollo Chuco -- which is a mustard flavored fried chicken.

It was my job to review the recipe as it was supplied to me, make sure it made sense, cook it, taste it, and then give feedback on where I thought it could be changed and/or improved.  Here is exactly what I did, which incorporates all of the comments and changes that I submitted to the cookbook writers....

INGREDIENTS (for the Fried Chicken):

• 2 pounds of bone-in/skin-on Chicken pieces (white and/or dark meat)
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• ½ teaspoon of Ground Bay Leaves (*I just took some whole ones out of my freezer and minced them myself)
• 1 teaspoon of Oregano
• 1 teaspoon of Roasted Garlic Powder
• 2 teaspoons of Cumin
• 2 Maggi chicken cubes, crumbled
• 1 Tablespoon of Kosher Salt
• 1-½ teaspoons of Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 2 cups of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Egg
• 3 Tablespoons of Water
• Oil for Deep Frying
• ½ head of Cabbage

INGREDIENTS (for the Dressing):

• 5 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise
• 3 Tablespoons of Tomato Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons of Milk
• 1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
• ½ teaspoon of Ground Coriander
• ½ teaspoon of Roasted Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoon of Celery Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

INGREDIENTS (for the Pico de Gallo):

• 2 Jalapenos
• 2 - 3 Tomatoes
• ½ of a Red Onion
• ½ of a Yellow Onion

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix together the ½-teaspoon of Ground Bay Leaves, ½-teaspoon of the Freshly Ground Pepper, the 1 teaspoon of Oregano, the 1 teaspoon of Roasted Garlic Powder, 1 teaspoon of the Cumin, 1 Tablespoon of the Kosher Salt, and the 2 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard. Add water as needed to create a paste and then rub the paste onto the chicken pieces, making sure over cover each piece and trying to get under the skin when possible for maximum flavor. Set aside for 20 minutes to marinate while you prepare the rest of the recipe's components.
2. Mix together the All Purpose Flour with 1 teaspoon of Freshly Ground Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon of Cumin, and the 2 crumbled Maggi chicken cubes.  Set aside.
3. Make the Dressing by whisking all of those ingredients together.  Set aside.
4. Shred the Cabbage and set it aside.
5. To make the Pico de Gallo: Remove the seeds and veins from the Jalapenos and mince them.  Dice the Onions and Tomatoes, and mix them together with the Japapenos.  Set aside.
6. Whisk the Egg together with 3 Tablespoons of Water.  Dip each piece of Chicken in the egg mixture, then dredge each chicken piece in the flour mixture.
7. In a high-walled, preferably cast-iron pot, heat the oil to 350° Fahrenheit (use enough oil that you can completely submerge a couple chicken pieces at at time, but not so much that you risk bubbling oil spilling out of the pan when filled with chicken); then cook the chicken pieces a couple at time until they reach an internal temperature of 155° for white meat or 160° for dark meat.  Rest on a paper towels to absorb excess oil.
8. Assemble plates by creating a bed shredded cabbage and placing a piece of chicken on top.  Serve Pico de Gallo on the side and drizzle some of the sauce over the chicken.

The verdict?  It was delicious!  I especially enjoyed it when I took all the meat off the bones, chopped it up, and mixed it all around with the cabbage and pico de gallo -- getting some of everything in every bite; and for this reason I might opt to use boneless chicken were I to cook this dish again.

I will update this post with a link to the cookbook as soon as its available for purchase, which I am told will be no earlier than Spring 2022.

This post is part of my project: "Around the World in Foodventures" (I decided I want to expand my culinary horizons even further by making the national dish or a popular recipe, or some signature food or traditional meal from every country in the world. Maybe it'll happen alphabetically, or by region, in random order, or something else. I figure if we can't (yet?) travel everywhere, we at least have the luxury of being able to taste it. It’ll be fun and interesting, but obviously, will take a long time to get through -- as I'll only be doing it once a week or so at most. I am chronicling the journey here.)

“If I’m an advocate of anything, it’s to move…Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food.” --Tony Bourdain