Gravy! There are many ways to make gravy, pan sauce, roux, corn starch, milk. Another thing every cuisine has in common. Take the juices, dripping, fats from cooking meats or mushrooms, or onions add a thickener or reduce to thicken and you have a gravy.
Making a big batch of March Meatballs is always a great thing to have in the freezer. Normally I alternate with 2 Chickens $10 – 30 servings. This is a stock up cycle, so doing both. When you make a bunch of meatballs, you have a bunch of drippings, the fats, juices and flavors that come from cooking meats. So I make gravy, and where there is gravy, there should be potatoes .. well or maybe rice, or pasta. This time, mashed potatoes.
Take a fist sized potato. I have youkons this time, they are a bit moister waxier than the standard, with thin skins. Peel and chop when the last meatballs are nearly done.
Start the potatoes in cool salted water. Heat on high. Bring to a boil.
Add a bit of water to the drippings in the sheet pan the meatballs were cooked on. Scrape up all the juices and cooked bits. Pour into a sauté pan over medium Heat, bring to a light boil.
Once the potatoes are fork tender, drain and return to the hot pan. Turn off the burner, you want the heat of the pan to remove any remaining water from the potatoes, mash with a fork adding butter, and just a touch of milk. Salt and pepper.
Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch into 2 tablespoons cool water.
Stir the cornstarch mixture into the drippings to thicken.
Plate the mashed potatoes, top with meatballs, then gravy. A bit of salad. Oh, look at all those pretty March Meatballs cooling for the freezer.
I have always cooked, I was that person who could make a meal from an empty fridge. I have lived alone and with large and small families, I have cooked for camps on wood stoves, and in professional kitchens. I have lived and worked all over the west from Montana, to Seattle to Arizona to San Diego. I have traveled, maybe not 'all over the world', yet, and have collected tastes recipes and techniques everywhere, and every one I meet.
