‘How to Make Gravy’ at STARS

Rajesh and Stephanie from STARS Food Services provide their recipe for ‘How to Make Gravy’, inspired by Paul Kelly’s iconic song.

Rajesh and Stephanie from STARS Food Services know a thing or two about the importance of the finishing touches on a meal. In October, they were the winners of the Hospitality in Healthcare Culinary Competition in Melbourne. Their standout dish was crispy duck breast including a gastrique, a special type of French pouring sauce.

Over Christmas they turned their attention to another favourite sauce, the gravy, in line with Paul Kelly’s iconic song ‘How to Make Gravy’.

Kelly’s song is all about connectedness at Christmas and this is exactly what the Food Services team at STARS hoped to bring to the table.

“On Christmas Day we want our patients at STARS to have a special dining experience with all the trimmings,” said Stephanie.

“Our patients were able to choose from a range of traditional Christmas fare, including roast turkey, served with stuffing, roast vegies, peas and of course gravy.

“We also had mini pavlovas, custard, ice-cream, jelly and stone fruits for dessert.”

“Those requiring a textured modified diet were also included with ham and turkey meals and a gingerbread inspired dessert.”

If you need a good gravy recipe, Stephanie has provided her favourite which is full of flavour and goes with a variety of meats and roast vegetables. You can substitute vegetable stock for a vegetarian version.
Ingredients

– 4 or 5 chopped shallots or Brown onion

– 1 diced carrots

– 1 stick diced celery

– 5 Sliced Swiss brown mushrooms or any mushrooms

– 2 tbsp olive oil

– 5 crushed cloves garlic

– 2 tbsp flour

– 2 tbsp tomato paste

– 200ml dark ale or any beer or red wine

– 1 stick rosemary

– Small bunch thyme

– 1L beef stock

Method

1. In a large pot over high heat, add the oil. Once hot, add the shallots and a pinch of salt, then sweat down.
2. After 3-4 minutes, add the rest of the vegetables and cook until some colour starts to develop, then add the garlic.
3. Next, add the flour and tomato paste, stirring well. Cook this for 2-3 minutes to cook out the flour.
4. Now, add the ale/wine, stirring well, and cook for a further 4 minutes before adding the herbs and then the stock.
5. Stir well, and then let it simmer for 40 minutes or until the gravy reaches your desired thickness.
6. When it’s thick enough, check the salt level, and if you’re happy, pass it through a sieve to remove any solid pieces.

As the song lyrics go, you might want to add a touch of tomato sauce for extra tang.

We hope all the patients at STARS enjoyed their Christmas lunch.