'Kind of Purple' Christmas Gravy
with purple carrot, red wine, coffee & chocolate
Every Christmas roast needs a good gravy. It connects all the elements you have put so much effort in together. Just like the smooth background drums in a Jazz Symphony. And like these musicians would do too, we improvise this time. Leaving out the savoury flavours normally meat would give us creates a necessity for other complex flavours. That’s where the red wine, coffee & chocolate come in. The superheroes and the base of this silken smooth, yet complex, ‘kind of purple’ Christmas harmony. For the best result: Turn up this kitchen album and let the sauce blib away and enjoy the sound of Miles, at least until the end of the album.
Ingredients
5 large purple carrots
4 shallots
6 cloves of garlic
A bunch of fresh thyme
3 bay leafs
2 heaped tablespoons white flour
250 ml red wine
1 vegetable stock cube
1 shot espresso
50 gr high quality 70% dark chocolate
2 tablespoons of agave syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
100 gr organic high quality butter
salt & pepper
Method
Preheat your oven to 200 ‘C. Roughly chop up the carrots and spread on a lined baking tray, with some oil and salt. Roast in the oven for around 25 minutes.
Finely slice the shallots and garlic. With some oil and salt, slowly simmer on low heat in a saucepan. After 5 minutes, add the fresh thyme and bay leafs. Also take out the carrots from the oven and add to the pan. Simmer for a few more minutes, then add 2 heaped tablespoons of white flour and give it a good stir. After a minute, turn up the heat a little and add the red wine together with the vegetable stock cube. Add a splash of water as well and let it simmer on low heat for around 20 minutes.
Take out the thyme and bay leafs. Transfer everything into a blender or food processor and blitz up smoothly. You might need to add extra water. Return back into the pan on low heat. Time to add the key ingredients. Add one shot of freshly brewed espresso and the finely chopped dark chocolate. Add the agave syrup and cubes of butter. Season with quite a bit of black pepper, taste for salt. Now, turn up Miles Davis – Kind of Blue on your speakers and let the sauce simmer until the end of the album, or longer (min. 45 minutes, but the longer the better). If the sauce becomes to0 thick, add another splash of water. It should nicely coat the back of a spoon.
This story comes to an end, but the party at your dinner table is only getting started. So whatever you complement this ‘Kind of Purple’ Christmas Gravy with, I’m sure it will be a joy. Be creative, Happy Christmas!