Equipment
Ingredients
Mushrooms & Aromatics
- 450 g cremini or shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 45 g unsalted butter, divided
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 g fresh thyme, leaves stripped
Liquid Base
- 500 ml vegetable broth
- 15 ml balsamic vinegar
- 10 ml tamari or soy sauce
Thickener & Seasoning
- 15 g cornstarch
- 30 ml cold water
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
- salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 111 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 9 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 571 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 19 mg
- Potassium
- 57 mg
- Calcium
- 17 mg
- Iron
- 0.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 6 mg
- Phosphorus
- 16 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 78 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.02 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 1 mcg
- Water
- 112 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Clean the mushrooms with a damp cloth and slice them into 5mm thick pieces. Minced the garlic and strip the thyme leaves.
Heat half the butter (approx 22g) in a wide skillet over medium-high heat (approx 190°C/375°F). Add half the mushrooms in a single layer.
Cook mushrooms undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until deeply golden brown on the bottom, then stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and repeat with remaining butter and mushrooms.
Return all cooked mushrooms to the pan. Reduce heat to medium (175°C/350°F). Add the minced garlic and fresh thyme, sautéing for 30-60 seconds until fragrant but not brown.
Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar (and soy sauce if using), scraping up any browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan.
Pour in the vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and cold water until smooth to create a slurry. Slowly pour this into the simmering gravy while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
Simmer for 1-2 minutes until the gravy thickens to a glossy consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust with salt and generous black pepper.
Chef's Notes
- The secret to the 'meaty' flavor is the browning of the mushrooms. Do not rush step 3.
- If you prefer a darker gravy, add a drop of Kitchen Bouquet or slightly more tamari.
- Cleaning mushrooms: Wipe with a damp towel rather than soaking them to prevent them from absorbing excess water which hinders browning.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Thicken upon reheating as starches may thin out over time.
Freezer: 3 months — Texture of mushrooms may soften slightly upon thawing.
Reheating: Warm gently on stovetop, adding a splash of water if too thick.
Troubleshooting
Gravy is lumpy
Cause: Cornstarch slurry was added to boiling liquid too quickly or without whisking
Fix: Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve before serving
Prevention: Ensure slurry is fully dissolved in cold water before adding; whisk constantly while pouring
Mushrooms are soggy/gray
Cause: Pan was overcrowded or heat was too low
Fix: Cannot be fixed retroactively; texture will remain soft but flavor will still be good
Prevention: Cook mushrooms in batches with sufficient space between them
Cultural Context
While gravies are a staple of American comfort food, this preparation utilizes French sauté techniques (sauter) and deglazing (déglaçage) to build layers of flavor without relying on meat drippings.
