Tomato Gravy

2 tablespoons margarine or olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper (scant)
15-ounce can tomatoes
1/2 cup milk or evaporated milk

Get out a nice big skillet. Heat the margarine or oil over medium
heat. Stir in the flour with a fork or a whisk until it is lump
free. Let the fat simmer for a moment or two, to toast the flour just
a little bit. Add the sugar or honey, salt and little less than
1/4-teaspoon of pepper. Add the tomatoes. Smash the tomatoes with
your fork to make them sort of choppy or shredded. This gravy is not
smooth, so you don't have to work real hard at smashing the tomatoes.
The lumpy tomatoes are actually what give it the characteristic texture
which Tomato gravy is famous for. When it begins to boil and thicken,
add the milk gradually. Stir it all up and let it boil again. The
milk will sometimes curdle a little bit. I don't know how to stop it,
so I just serve it anyway. It tastes so good, folks seldom notice if
the milk is smooth or not. This is good with any grain for a main
dish, or just plain over noodles or potatoes. If you can your own
tomatoes, you can double or triple the recipe for each quart of tomatoes
you use. This recipe makes about 2-1/2 cup of gravy. Good with
biscuits for breakfast or lunch, especially in the wintertime.

Bob says that in his restaurant they add the milk to the flour and fat
first and then let it thicken. When it is bubbly and thick, then you
add your tomatoes. This is supposed to keep it from curdling. If
your tomato gravy always curdles, then try this trick and see if it
turns out better.


--
Rec.food.recipes is moderated by Patricia Hill at .
Only recipes and recipe requests are accepted for posting.
Please allow several days for your submission to appear.
Archives: http://www.cdkitchen.com/rfr/ http://recipes.alastra.com/