Onion Miso Gravy

Onion Miso Gravy

 Spice pattern:  basic or savory

This sauce works well over hearty grains like buckwheat or brown rice. The creamy ‘stroganoff’ variation works well with egg noodles.

When you make this or any sauce, remember that the intensity of the taste will be diluted by the food you eat it with. So, the sauce by itself should taste strong and rich, too rich to eat by itself, for it to taste good mixed over food. If you season the gravy to taste perfect stand-alone, it will probably taste bland once you pour it over food. If you use the wine, I suggest an inexpensive hearty red table wine like burgundy. Do not use socalled cooking wine, which is inferior quality and overpriced. This is a cornstarch gravy, which is textured like sauces you get with Oriental food. It is easy to

make and hard to get wrong. Add the cornstarch in small amounts and let it cook in and check thetexture, because too much cornstarch will make the gravy almost pudding thick.

• 3 tbsp peanut oil ½ tsp salt
• 3 large onions, sliced in crescents ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp or more chopped ginger (optional) ½ tsp sage (optional)
• ½ tsp thyme (optional)
• ¼ c wine (optional) ½ tsp rosemary (optional)
• 2 c water ( 1 ½ c water if using wine)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp miso or to taste ¼ c cold water

 Slowly cook the onions and spices (and ginger) in the oil over a low flame until the onions arevery soft, the longer the better - at least 15 minutes. Add the water (and wine) and heat slowly,and cook about 5 minutes. Thin the miso with a little bit of the gravy liquid and add it back, andadjust amounts of miso and seasonings. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water and stir into thegravy, and stir until it thickens. If the gravy is still too thin, add a bit more cornstarch and coldwater. Adjust salt and pepper one last time if necessary.

Variation: Mushroom ‘stroganoff’ gravy - Add ½-1 cup chopped mushrooms when the onionsare almost done, stir and saute another few minutes .Add 2 tbsp tahini and stir into the saucewhen you add the miso to make the sauce creamy. Add 1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar with the tahinito give the gravy a stroganoff type creamy and sour taste.

  More Information- Vegetarian Thanksgiving