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Wine Gravy or Sauce
291. Make a strong rich gravy by either of the receipts given at pars. 281 or 282. The second of those, given at par. 282, is the best for the purpose. Take about one-third of a sauce tureen of this, heat it, and when ready for use add from two to three table-spoonsful of rich and new port-wine.
A two-ingredient finishing sauce whose whole character depends on the stock it starts from. The instruction that matters is the last one: the wine goes in when the gravy is already hot and ready to serve, not earlier.
- Add the wine off the heatAdd the wine at the last moment -- the receipt says to heat the gravy first and add the port "when ready for use," i.e. just before serving rather than early in the cooking. Port that is boiled hard after being added will lose much of its fruit, so bring the gravy to serving heat, stir the wine through and send it to the table.
- The cross-referenced graviesParagraphs 281 and 282 are the book's own receipts for strong rich gravy, not reproduced here; the text simply says the second of the two is the better one for this purpose. A modern equivalent is a well-reduced brown veal or beef stock, unthickened or barely thickened, with enough body to coat a spoon.
- "A sauce tureen" is not a fixed measureTureen capacities varied and the receipt gives no clue which size is meant, so one-third of one cannot be pinned down. Treat it as roughly half a cup of gravy to 2-3 tablespoons of port and adjust by taste.
- "Rich and new" port"New" here most likely means young rather than long-kept. A ruby port suits the purpose; a tawny, with its oxidised nutty character, gives a different and less fruity result, and there is no reason to use a vintage bottle in a saucepan.
- ProportionTwo to three tablespoons into half a cup is a strong dose, close to one part wine to four parts gravy. Start at two and taste; a thin or under-reduced gravy will be overwhelmed.
- Yield and servingAbout half a cup, enough for four modest servings alongside roast venison, hare, mutton or beef. It is a finishing sauce spooned over carved meat, not a braising liquid.
- Seasoning at the endPort brings sweetness, so check salt and add a grind of pepper after the wine goes in. A few drops of lemon or a spoonful of redcurrant jelly will balance it if it reads too sweet; redcurrant jelly was a common accompaniment to game in this period.