Brown Mushroom Sauce is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic sauce of a beef gravy stock with button mushrooms that's flavoured with mushroom ketchup and thickened with a flour and butter paste. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Brown Mushroom Sauce.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
BROWN MUSHROOM SAUCE, to serve with Roast Meat, &c.
474. INGREDIENTS.—1/2 pint of button mushrooms, 1/2 pint of good beef gravy, No. 435, 1 tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup (if at hand), thickening of butter and flour. Mode.—Put the gravy into a saucepan, thicken it, and stir over the fire until it boils. Prepare the mushrooms by cutting off the stalks and wiping them free from grit and dirt; the large flap mushrooms cut into small pieces will answer for a brown sauce, when the buttons are not obtainable; put them into the gravy, and let them simmer very gently for about 10 minutes; then add the ketchup, and serve.
Time.—Rather more than 10 minutes.
Seasonable from August to October.
Note.—When fresh mushrooms are not obtainable, the powder No. 477 may be used as a substitute for brown sauce.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
200g button mushrooms
300ml good beef gravy
1 tbsp mushroom ketchup
2 tbsp butter mixed to a smooth paste with 1 1/2 tbsp plain flour as a thickening (known as a beurre manié)
Method:
Gently heat the gravy in a pan. Work in the thickening a small piece at a time and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until thickened.
In the meantime, wipe the mushrooms clean, remove the protruding stems then add to the sauce. Reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes then add the mushroom ketchup. Stir to combine and serve.
