Caramelized Shallot & Bacon Gravy…with Creamy Whipped Cauliflower & Parsnips

Let’s talk about gravy, baby, let’s talk about you and meee….{also, sorry not sorry about that super long post title. This Caramelized Shallot & Bacon Gravy is soooo worth it.}

Apparently gravy is a pretty polarizing subject for a lot of people. I’m kind of new to this whole gravy world, so I had no idea about that until super recently.

When I was younger, I barely ate Thanksgiving turkey because it was just WAY too dry (ha, saved by spatchcocking that guy now!), and just slathered it in applesauce instead. Plus, when I found out about the whole gluten-totally-wrecks-my-insides thing, I wasn’t going anywhere near the stuff, because it was made with flour 99.9% of the time. You think my family actually cooked anything gluten-free before I found out I was a glutard? NOPE. Well, unless you count mashed potatoes with toooons of milk and butter in them. But it’s not like those were exactly healthy either.

It wasn’t until two years ago that I finally made the gravy from Nom Nom Paleo, as well as her Slow Cooker Roast Chicken & Gravy that I was like WOAH where has this been all my life and NOW I understand why people go nuts on this stuff.

And then, I discovered THIS recipe from one of my favorite bloggers, Jessica at How Sweet It Is. Caramelized Shallots and Bacon in your gravy? Um, that is something I could get behind. But then, there’s that whole gluten-wrecks-my-insides kind of thing again. So I gluten-freed it up (ha! See what I just did there? So freaking clever, if I do say so myself) and threw it on top of my Creamy Whipped Parsnip & Cauliflower Mash that I made last year for my ebook, Our Paleo Holiday Table and ohhhh you guys. That mash didn’t even need anything on it to be amazing. But this gravy?? #dropthemicandleave

Caramelized Shallot & Bacon Gravy...with Parsnip & Cauliflower Mash

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Dana: Real Food with Dana

Serves: 4-6 servings + lots of gravy!

Ingredients

For the Gravy:

• 5 slicesthick-cut bacon, diced
• 6 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Turkey drippings, optional
• 2 cups cold water
• 3 Tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1 Tbsp Penzey's Sunny Paris Seasoning (sub: herbs de provence + 1 tsp dried onion)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

For the Parsnip-Cauliflower Mash

• 1 lb parsnips, washed, peeled and cut into large 1” chunks
• 1 small head cauliflower, cored and chopped into florets
• 2 Tbsp ghee or olive oil
• ½ cup full-fat coconut milk or broth
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 sprig thyme, for garnish

Directions

1. First, for the gravy: Cook bacon about 5-6 minutes in a deep soup pot, until crispy.
2. Remove from the pan to a paper towel lined plate, and set aside until ready to serve.
3. Add the shallots to the bacon fat, add a small pinch of salt, and cook about 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring every so often, until the shallots are until softened and caramelized.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot with about 10 cups of water to boil for the parsnip-cauliflower mash.
5. For the gravy, make a slurry with the arrowroot powder and water: in a medium bowl, combine 2 cups water with 3 Tbsp arrowroot powderwith a whisk until incorporated. Set aside for now.
6. Add the stock to the pot, and any turkey drippings you have! Then, whisking the slurry while you do it, add the slurry to the pot.
7. Stir the gravy with the whisk until you get all the lumps out, and make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
8. Blend with an immersion (stick) blender in the pot until smooth. Cook about 5-10 minutes more on low heat until warmed through and thickened to your taste (or just let it continue to cook until the mash is done!)
9. Now, let’s make the mash!
10. Add the chopped cauliflower florets and parsnips to the boiling water. (If the water doesn’t cover the veggies, add more.)
11. Cook until the veggies are fork-able (about 10-12 minutes), then drain and add to your food processor with the 2 Tbsp ghee or oil.
12. Purée until smooth, scraping the sides down with a spatula as needed. Add in the coconut milk, garlic and onion powder, nutmeg, and sea salt.
13. Garnish with fresh thyme, to serve.
14. Stir the bacon into the gravy just before serving so it stays crispy.

Notes

The gravy will keep in the fridge for about a week - just reheat it in a saucepan before use. You may need to add a little water to thin it out, then whisk away until it’s warm and ready to go again!

3.5.3208

Gravy recipe adapted from How Sweet Eats.