Gravy.

This is my much-asked-about home-made gravy recipe. It's changed over time but this latest incarnation is the best so far. Stand by for me to change my mind about that at any moment.

Ingredients: this is the optimum list of ideal ingredients, and I'd suggest if you have to substitute, substitute only the hemp flour for plain white organic flour. The former is a little 'textural', the latter will be traditionally smooth. Don't try to leave anything out - it won't be as good.

Right, you need:

Generous splosh of olive oil
1 x finely-chopped onion, preferably red, but white is fine
A good few sploshes of Tamari or Shoyu soy sauce made by Suma or Meridien prefereably (DO NOT use cheapo commercially-produced soy sauce - Gravy Will FAIL) - to taste
Home-made vegetable stock (use the stuff you've just cooked your greens in)
Thyme
Sage
Black pepper (you won't need salt, this comes from the Tamari/Shoyu)
Two heaped dessert spoons of Engevita (vegan yeast product, available in Holland & Barrett and all sorts of health food shops)
Two heaped dessert spoons of hemp flour

Optional: splosh of red wine (warning: makes it vulgarly rich).

Heat the olive oil and add the chopped onions, with the herbs and seasoning. Cook gently, stirring occasionally until browned and transparent.
Splash in the Tamari/Shoyu soy sauce, all over the onions.
Add the veg stock, a bit at a time, just to make a loose gravy.
Stir in the Engevita slowly and throroughly.
Keep stirring.
Put your flour of choice into a little jug or cup, and add COLD water to make a watery paste. Stir well. Add to the gravy slowly, stirring all the time.
Keep cooking gently on the stove top until the gravy thickens. It will wait for you on a low heat; just keep and eye on it and add a little more stock/water if it starts to look too thick/thin.

Link to printable PDF recipe: http://www.inkymole.com/recipes/gravy.pdf

(I know. This picture could be poo, or a terrifyingly strong curry; but it is what the gravy will look like. VINTAGE.)