© J.N. Urbanski

Bolete Mushroom Gravy

2 cups of chopped mushrooms
1 medium onion
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon of ground celery
2 tablespoons of local butter
2 tablespoons of whole milk
2 cups of boiling water
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of sage
1 sprig of rosemary
1 tablespoon of all purpose flour

This recipe calls for chopped mushrooms, but if you like your mushroom gravy lump-free, then you will either need to use minced mushrooms instead of chopped, whizz them in the blender or you will have to purée the gravy with a hand blender once it’s cooked.

Finely chop the onion and sauté with the oil in a large frying pan until the onions are translucent. Sprinkle the ground celery evenly over the cooking onions and mushrooms. Add the chopped mushrooms, thyme, sage, rosemary and the garlic. Sauté on a low heat for five minutes, stirring continuously. If the mixture gets on the dry side, add two or three tablespoons of boiling water and stir continuously. Add the two cups of boiling water when the mixture looks well-browned.

After adding the water, boil on a low heat for five minutes. Sprinkle in the all purpose flour through a sieve, mix well and simmer gently for a further five minutes. Turn off the heat and stir for a few minutes until you have the desired thickness. This gravy will have such a strong taste that you can dilute it with hot water if it becomes too thick. Add two tablespoons of whole milk, remove the rosemary sprig and stir.

Let stand for at least an hour before serving. Stews and gravies are always tastier served the next day. Serve over home grown mashed potato for a truly local, sustainable side dish.