The chemistry behind making perfect gravy
Boffins have revealed the science behind making the perfect gravy, including an unlikely special ingredient.The food experts from the Royal Society of Chemistry say their recipe can be used to make nutrionally-balanced, chemically-perfect and extremely tasty gravy every time.
It's made from a mix of juices from a beef joint and leftover water from boiled cabbage, nothing too surprising there. Until they suggest adding soya sauce.
The team, led by John Emsley insist there is a scientific rationalisation behind adding the odd ingredient, normally associated with eastern cuisine, but that we wouldn't understand it.
Last year the same bofifns revealed how to scientifically produce the world'd best Yorkshire puddings -- which means by about 2016 we should be able to have an entire Sunday Roast.
A spokesperson for the RSC said: "Gravy is a way to recover proteins, essential vitamins and minerals that may be lost on roasting a joint and when cooking vegetables."
Royal Society of Chemistry Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
The juices from a roast joint of meat, preferably beef
Flour
Vegetable water (cabbage)
Iodised salt
Teaspoon of dark soya sauce.
Pepper Gravy browning if you prefer a darker gravy.
Method
The joint should be cooked on a bed of halved onions, carrots and celery on to which juices from the meat will slowly trickle.
When the meat is cooked, remove it from the roasting tin along with the vegetables. Sprinkle a small amount of plain flour over the meat juices and fat. Stir to form a dough (roux) gradually adding the water in which vegetables have been cooked, preferably cabbage water.
Ensure all the meat juices and Marmite-like deposits on the bottom of the roasting dish have dissolved. Then add iodised salt to taste and a teaspoon of dark soya sauce (rather than gravy browning) or a little red wine .
Simmer to reduce the volume of liquid to the right consistency, stirring occasionally.
LINKS
Royal Society of Chemistry
Royal Society of Chemistry Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
The juices from a roast joint of meat, preferably beef
Flour
Vegetable water (cabbage)
Iodised salt
Teaspoon of dark soya sauce.
Pepper Gravy browning if you prefer a darker gravy.
Method
The joint should be cooked on a bed of halved onions, carrots and celery on to which juices from the meat will slowly trickle.
When the meat is cooked, remove it from the roasting tin along with the vegetables. Sprinkle a small amount of plain flour over the meat juices and fat. Stir to form a dough (roux) gradually adding the water in which vegetables have been cooked, preferably cabbage water.
Ensure all the meat juices and Marmite-like deposits on the bottom of the roasting dish have dissolved. Then add iodised salt to taste and a teaspoon of dark soya sauce (rather than gravy browning) or a little red wine .
Simmer to reduce the volume of liquid to the right consistency, stirring occasionally.
LINKS
Royal Society of Chemistry
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