Author Notes
I 'm always the butt of jokes on a night out when I get offered a glass of alcohol and I have to decline, boldly saying 'I prefer to eat my alcohol, not drink it'. This recipe is my support. Don't you agree? - Kitchen Butterfly —Kitchen Butterfly
Test Kitchen Notes
This gravy starts off with toasted cumin and peppercorns – once you get those simmering in the wine with the orange peel and thyme, the smell alone is enough to drive you wild. It’s a snap to make, just reduce it down, strain, whisk in the cold butter, and serve. We found that the bite of the wine called for a rich foil, a grilled prime ribeye worked nicely, as did some grilled ciabatta bread with garlic oil, which we found ourselves dipping straight into the gravy pitcher. - aargersi —The Editors
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Ingredients
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6 - 12 black peppercorns
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1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
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2 cups Tempranillo (young, fullbodied red wine)
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1 cup poultry stock (made from pan drippings or not)
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1-2 strips of orange zest
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3 - 4 stalks fresh lemon thyme
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1/2 a Madame jeanette/yellow scotch bonnet chili (optional)
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1 -2 tablespoons ice cold/frozen unsalted butter
Directions
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In a frying pan, gently toast peppercorns. After a minute, add the cumin seeds, tossing and stirring for a minute or two till the spices begin to smell. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. When manageable, gently crush with a mortar and pestle a couple of times to bruise spices.
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Put the wine in a large pot and gently bring to the boil, then turn down heat and let simmer. Add the bruised peppercorns and cumin, orange zest, lemon thyme and stock and let simmer till reduced to about about a third of its orginal volume. If using chili pepper, add about a minute before taking off the heat.
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Remove pan off the heat, strain the sauce and whisk in cold butter till melted and sauce is glossy.
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Serve immediately
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