Peppercorn Gravy
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup onion (very finely chopped)
- 2 - 3 tsp. crushed peppercorns (black, green or red peppercorns, or a mixture *See Notes)
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup red or white wine (or omit and use a bit more broth)
- 2 Tbsp flour (can substitue with cornstartch)
- 1 cup chicken or beef broth (*see Notes)
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or a pinch of dried thyme leaves)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (35% b.f. or omit for a non-creamy sauce, *see Notes)
- Salt (to taste)
Melt butter in skillet.
Add the onions and peppercorns and stir until the onions are starting to colour, about 1 minute.
Add the wine and cook, stirring, until mostly evaporated, about 1 minute.
Whisk in flour until well combined and no white specks remain. Let cook 2 minutes.
Add the broth, Dijon mustard and thyme. Reduce heat to medium and allow sauce to simmer/reduce for a few minutes to blend the flavours and reduce slightly.
Add cream, if using and stir to combine and warm through. Taste the sauce and season with salt, as needed.
Notes:
To crush peppercorns, use a mortar and pestle or simply hit them with a wooden rolling pin on a large cutting board. If you don't have any whole peppercorns on hand, use a pepper grinder on the coarsest setting to get the biggest pieces of pepper in the sauce.
You can use either chicken or beef broth for the sauce. Generally, red wine is best combined with beef broth and white wine combined with chicken broth.
Heavy, whipping cream is recommended as the higher fat level prevents the sauce from splitting in the presence of the acidic wine. While you can use a lighter cream, it may split and leave small white fat chunks in your sauce and result in a less than smooth sauce.
This gravy is delicious with or without cream, so just go with what you're feeling in the moment.