by the KeukenHeksen at WolfHaven

You’ll get no precise measurements from me—in our house teaspoons and tablespoons are so forlorn they hug one another standing in the equally lonesome measuring cup, whispering sweet nothings to one another. Nope, Blackberry Gravy is what happens spontaneously in August when you are trying to cook six dishes at once in a Powell River “heritage” kitchen.

Start with your own gravy. You know—whatever semi-liquid you use to make meat and potatoes slide down efficiently. Chicken/duck/turkey-based would be nice. Maybe skip the wheat flour in favor of a less sludgy thickener: fufu flour is my favourite (cassava), or rice flour, potato, cornstarch…whatever. Of course there’s already plenty of garlic in the mix, and sweet, very fine or powdered onion.

So much for basics. Now for the exotics. Since you’re going to make a fruity gravy, why not ginger, coriander, tarragon, and maybe fresh basil as a brightener. Use your imagination here—thinking of what the blackberries will contribute, I might even try nutmeg or cinnamon next time. Seriously. But I’ll never forget to add a generous glop of dry sherry (unless it’s the turn of Stone’s Ginger liqueur).

Next burner over, the blackberry compote simmered temptingly. A bit wacky from picking berries in the sun, I tried just a cooking-spoonful. Mixy-mixy-mix—yum! More! Two or three doses later, I had a gravy so perfect, it would be a sin to call it gravy. It needs something French—coulis? Just dribble it in pleasing patterns around the mound of mashed.

Wasn’t that fun? Thank Earth for the mighty blackberry!