Gravies and Sauces

Ingredients

• 1 head of celery, cut into pieces
• 1 small sprig of savory, lemon-thyme, or sweet marjoram
• ½ ounce onion, sliced
• 1 ounce butter
• Flour, as needed to make a stiff paste
• Gravy made from bones
• Pickled onions, walnuts, or gherkins (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon mushroom ketchup or pickled liquor
• Capers and caper liquor (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon ale (optional)
• Eschalot or tarragon vinegar (to taste)
• Bread for sippets, toasted and cut into triangles

Directions

1. In a pot, combine celery and savory. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

2. In a stew pan, heat butter and fry the onion over medium heat for 2 minutes until slightly colored.

3. Stir in enough flour to form a stiff paste, then gradually mix in the gravy from the bones.

4. Let the mixture boil gently for 15 minutes until it thickens to a cream-like consistency.

5. Strain the sauce through a sieve into a basin, then return it to the stew pan.

6. Season with pickled onions, walnuts, gherkins, mushroom ketchup, capers, ale, or vinegar as desired.

7. Cover the bottom of a serving dish with toasted bread sippets to soak up the gravy.

8. Garnish with additional fried bread sippets if desired.