RecipeTin Eats’ rissoles with mushroom gravy are a comfort food classic

Name: RecipeTin Eats’ rissoles with mushroom gravy are a comfort food classic
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Ingredients: ½ large brown onion, grated (see note); ½ cup panko breadcrumbs; 500g beef mince; 1 small zucchini, grated; 1 small carrot, grated; 1 egg; 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped; ½ tsp dried thyme (optional); ½ tsp oregano (optional); ½ tsp pepper; ¾ tsp cooking salt; 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 tbsp vegetable oil

RecipeTin Eats

October 24, 2023

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

I love a good rissole. Whether you consider them souped-up burger patties or squashed meatballs, this is a quintessential Aussie recipe that you can make your own. I’ve always hidden vegetables in them – bulks them out, adds extra nutrients – but my latest obsession is to serve them with a mushroom gravy. Because in Australia, gravy trumps tomato sauce every day of the week.

SOS checklist

12 ingredients or fewer (excluding oil, salt, pepper, water and mash!) ✔
Less than $20 for 4 servings ✔

Ingredients

Rissoles

½ large brown onion, grated (see note)
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
500g beef mince
1 small zucchini, grated
1 small carrot, grated
1 egg
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
½ tsp dried thyme (optional)
½ tsp oregano (optional)
½ tsp pepper
¾ tsp cooking salt
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Mushroom gravy

30g unsalted butter
½ brown onion, sliced 5mm thick
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
200g mushrooms, sliced 5mm thick
3 ½ tbsp flour
500ml (2 cups) low-salt beef stock
¼ tsp cooking salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

To serve

mashed potato

Method

Step 1
To make the rissoles, grate the onion into a medium bowl. Add the panko breadcrumbs and mix to wet them (see note). Then add everything else except the vegetable oil and mix well with your hands. Form the mixture into 12 patties (each about ¼ cup, firmly packed), 1.7cm thick (about 7cm diameter). Make a shallow dent on one side – this will prevent them from doming as they cook.
Step 2
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large (30cm) non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place half the rissoles in the pan (dented side up) and sear for 2 minutes on each side or until they’re lightly golden. They will still be a bit raw inside. Set aside on a plate, then repeat with the remaining rissoles, adding more oil if needed.
Step 3
To make the mushroom gravy, discard the excess oil and wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Still on medium-high, melt the butter, then cook the onion and garlic for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release water and soften. Turn the heat down to medium, add the flour, and stir for 1 minute. Slowly pour in half the stock, stirring as you go, until the flour has dissolved into the liquid – the sauce should thicken fairly quickly. Then add the remaining stock, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then gently place the rissoles into the gravy, along with any juices that have pooled on the plate. The surface of the rissoles will be above the gravy; that’s totally fine.
Step 4
Simmer for 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens to a gravy consistency. Serve the rissoles over mash with plenty of gravy.

Grating the vegetables on a box grater results in small, uneven pieces that disappear into the rissoles.iStock

Notes

Grate the onions, zucchini and carrot using a standard box grater.
Mix the grated onion with the breadcrumbs before adding the other ingredients. The crumbs will soak up the onion juices and swell up during cooking, making the rissoles nice and tender.