Weird but tasty foods to put gravy on

Gravy is traditionally poured over roast meat, potatoes, pies and, in Britain, the occasional Yorkshire pudding. That is a useful beginning rather than a legal definition. Once gravy is treated as a savoury sauce with body, salt and concentrated flavour, several less obvious foods become legitimate targets.

The important qualification is that not every gravy suits every carrier. A light chicken gravy can rescue toast or rice; a dark beef gravy overwhelms delicate eggs; a sweet, sticky onion gravy is more tolerant of fried food. The best combinations usually contain a crisp, starchy or fatty element to absorb the sauce without turning immediately to paste.

Toast and bread¶

Plain buttered toast is among the most effective unconventional choices. The toast provides crunch, the butter rounds out the gravy and the whole arrangement occupies territory between a Welsh rarebit and a very wet sausage sandwich. Thick-cut white bread is the most forgiving, though sourdough brings useful acidity.

Use about 100–150 ml of hot simple everyday gravy for two slices. Keep the toast firm and pour the gravy over just before eating. A spoonful of grated mature Cheddar, melted under a grill, turns it into something closer to a gravy rarebit. Onion gravy is particularly good here; a strongly reduced beef gravy can become salty once the bread has absorbed it.

Fried bread is more substantial still. It works with sausage gravy, mushroom gravy or a peppery brown gravy, especially when served with a fried egg. This is not an invitation to make the bread soggy in advance. Soggy bread is a structural failure, not a regional tradition.

Breakfast foods¶

Eggs¶

Soft scrambled eggs, fried eggs and omelettes can all take a small amount of gravy, although the gravy should be smooth and relatively mild. A tablespoon or two over scrambled eggs is enough. Chicken gravy with herbs works better than a heavily reduced beef gravy, while American sausage gravy is an established, if geographically specific, companion to biscuits and eggs.

The yolk supplies richness, so the gravy need not be fatty. A thick gravy also makes a dry omelette less noticeable, which is useful but not a substitute for cooking the eggs properly.

Waffles and pancakes¶

A plain savoury waffle can carry gravy surprisingly well. The pockets retain the sauce and the crisp surface prevents the dish becoming uniformly soft. Potato waffles are the most natural choice; ordinary unsweetened waffles are also suitable with chicken, turkey or mushroom gravy.

Sweet breakfast waffles require a more careful approach. A very savoury gravy alongside maple syrup is generally discordant, but a waffle made with potato, spring onion or cheese can support gravy without apology. The combination is closer to a potato cake than a pudding.

Rice and grains¶

Rice is a practical carrier for thin gravies, particularly chicken gravy, mushroom gravy and gravies made with coconut, spices or stock. It is common around the world for saucy dishes to be served over rice, although calling every such sauce “gravy” would erase useful culinary distinctions.

For a British-style plate, use steamed long-grain rice with a ladle of gravy and a little shredded leftover roast meat. Keep the gravy pourable rather than spoon-standing: approximately 150 ml gravy to 200 g cooked rice is a reasonable starting point. Brown rice works with darker, mushroom-heavy sauces but can make an already robust gravy taste austere.

Pearl barley, couscous and polenta are also effective. Polenta in particular behaves like very soft mashed potato and welcomes a glossy beef or mushroom gravy. It is best served immediately, before the grains absorb all the liquid.

Pasta and noodles¶

Gravy over pasta is odd only when the gravy is thin, bland or excessively salty. Short pasta shapes such as rigatoni, shells and macaroni hold a thicker gravy well. Beef gravy with shredded brisket or leftover roast beef can resemble a deliberately rustic ragù, while chicken gravy with mushrooms and cream sits nearer to a conventional pasta sauce.

Do not combine a large quantity of flour-thickened roast gravy with delicate spaghetti. The texture becomes gluey and the dish loses the contrast that makes gravy interesting. If the gravy is thick, loosen it with a little stock before tossing it through the pasta. Thickening with flour vs cornflour explains why the two types behave differently.

Egg noodles are particularly good with gravy containing onions, mushrooms or roast pork. Add the sauce at the table and finish with black pepper rather than grated cheese, unless the gravy is light enough to accommodate it.

Fried and crisp foods¶

Gravy and fried food share a useful principle: fat carries flavour, while starch absorbs it. This explains the success of poutine, in which chips, cheese curds and gravy are combined, and of British chip-shop gravy. It also explains why gravy works with hash browns, potato croquettes, fried polenta and leftover stuffing shaped into patties.

A crisp fried chicken fillet can take a spoonful of peppered chicken gravy, although a full drowning destroys the crust. Pour around the food rather than over its entire surface. The same rule applies to fried halloumi, where a small amount of tomato-based or vegetable gravy can cut through the salt without making the cheese rubbery.

Vegetables and vegetarian foods¶

Roast cauliflower, cabbage steaks, bubble and squeak, and baked potatoes are all sound vehicles for gravy. The apparent strangeness usually comes from serving gravy with vegetables outside a roast-dinner setting, not from any incompatibility of flavour.

Vegan gravy made with mushrooms, onions or yeast extract is especially useful with lentil patties, nut roast, fried tofu and vegetable fritters. A thick mushroom gravy over a baked potato can be a complete meal, provided the sauce contains enough savoury depth and the potato is properly seasoned.

Gravy over avocado is less convincing. Its soft, fatty texture and faintly vegetal flavour offer little contrast, and most brown gravies make it taste metallic. Some foods are merely waiting for the right sauce; others are waiting for a different article.

Rules for experimental gravy¶

• Match the colour and strength of the gravy to the food. Light foods need lighter gravies.
• Start with 2–3 tablespoons per serving, then add more at the table.
• Preserve one contrasting texture: toast, crisp potatoes or fried edges are valuable.
• Reduce salt before serving, since bread, eggs and rice absorb liquid without removing sodium.
• Add sharpness where needed with mustard, pickled onions or a small splash of vinegar. See Seasoning gravy.
• Serve immediately. Holding gravy on a crisp surface is an efficient method of producing softness.

The most successful unusual pairings are not random stunts. They rely on the same qualities found in a roast dinner: starch, savoury depth, fat, browning and something crisp or fresh to prevent the sauce becoming monotonous. Gravy is versatile, but it remains a sauce rather than a national obligation.