Vegetarian gravy and can I freeze this pie?

[TheProvincialLady]

Sorry for the bizarre mixture of topics!

Q1 I need a tasty vegetarian gravy recipe that I can use on Christmas day, ie a bit special - if you have one can you share it with me please?

Q2 I have made 2 pies - shortcrust pastry filled with roasted veg and cheese/wine/herb sauce. The tops are glazed with egg and I have cooked them both. One is for tonight, but can I freeze the other one? If so then what is the best way? I meant to leave one raw and freeze it like that, but got carried away and forgot!

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Er bisto I'm going to watch this thread and hopefully be turned onto better gravy!

I'd just cover up yr pie and shove it in the freezer. Just don't reheat more than once to eat

Feel free to discard this advice on the basis of my gravy suggestion ;)

Carrot, onion and celery make a good base for gravy. I would really slow roast them to get their flavours intensified, then deglaze the roasting tin with red wine, bubble up for a bit and then add some veg stock. If you like a thicker gravy, make a roux ( flour/butter mix), and stir this into the veg before you add the wine. Season it well. This is all a guess though as I've never made it before......

Your pies sound lovely. I'm not sure about your q as I have only ever done from raw. I guess the only concern would be the pastry being soggy or overcooking? I think I would reheat with foil over the top.

Bisto for me, too.

Always have.

The beef granules are suitable, and so ridiculously easy - just heap 4 teaspoons in a jug with 1/2 pint of water (i use the water from the boiled veg) and stir.
lovely.

you have to freeze your pies from raw.

then you defrost ans cook as usual.

you can't freeze theme once they're cooked as the pastry goes soaggy.

I make a port gravy - fry some thinly sliced half moons of onion and some garlic, then make a roux with butter and flour then add big splodge of port, lots of black pepper and some vege stock (i use Marigold) and cook until thickened, adding a spoon of marmite or mushroomketchup for depth if needed.

Gah! I knew the pie was no good for freezing. We'll have to eat it tomorrow then. It's no hardship - the first one was delicious - but I am trying to stock up the freezer to free up time before the Christmas rush. Thanks for confirming what I suspected, nickel.

As to the gravy, well I always make my gravy from scratch (don't like packet stuff sorry! And I am a SAHM so have the time)....so it would be hilarious if I served up bisto on Christmas day I make onion gravy anyway, but the addition of some roasted root veg, port and garlic sounds intriguing. I'll experiment.

Thanks for the suggestions

Came across this when I was looking for a port vegi gravy option and also wondering whether this which I made this morning could be frozen :o
So I assume it can be frozen, but before cooking, and Belligerant, your gravy from 3 years ago sounds perfect :o

thing is thugh part of the pie (the filling) has already been cooked. So wil it definitely be ok to freeze 'raw'?

Gravy: fry some onions in butter on low heat, until they're soft and ever so slightly caramelised. Make up a bit of veggie stock (use Marigold if possible - this is so nice you'll be using it for all your own food, too!). Add a bit of flour or corn stack to the onion/butter mixture and stir in until it's nice and smooth (no lumps) Add stock to the onion/butter/flour mixture until you have the right amount. Add a little extra flour if you find it too runny. Then use a blender/food processor/mixer stick to whizz it all together. Delicious and takes only 10 minutes, very cheap.

Corn stack?? Corn starch!!!

Thanks, but I really liked the look of Belligerant's and am temped to give it a go. And I am the vegetarian!

Truffle oil is very hard to find!

Hi Stealth - tis Belligerent here, in a new guise. Hope you enjoy the gravy!

This is my home-made gravy, perhaps add a glug of wine in lieu of meat juices

tyne-teas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/gravy-from-home-made-stock.html