Holiday dinners are great when you know How to Make Gravy without the lumps. Furthermore, after receiving an urgent plea in a text from my sister-in-law saying, “Hi Cathy, please Help! How do you make gravy?” So, I decided to add the recipe here. I don’t know why I never thought of it before. But, since eating low-carb; I’ve revamped a lot of my favorite comfort foods. I think the best part of Thanksgiving, besides dessert, is the gravy Made with all of the turkey drippings and the rich scrapings from the bottom of the roasting pan and shredded turkey meats. Although, my mother did teach me how to make gravy, after tasting my mother-in-law’s. I switched. Furthermore, I think my mother-in-law-makes the best turkey gravy.
How To Make Gravy
There are many wonderful ways you can make gravy. You can make it with giblets or you can make it just with broth. You can even make it weeks ahead of time to save yourself some of the holiday frenzies. When making gravy usually consists of meat drippings, a thickener, and broth, with or without milk. Although, I usually add the meat into the gravy.
The easiest way to make gravy is the plain Old-Fashioned Gravy, from the drippings made just seconds before setting all the food on the table. This makes for a deeply flavorful gravy that enhances everything on the plate with a touch of delicious savory goodness.
What is a Roux?
Roux is used as a thickening agent for gravy, sauces, soups, and stews. It provides the base for a dish, and other ingredients are added after the roux is complete.
The fat is most often butter in French cuisines.
The first time making this gravy my mamma showed me, when I was young, starting with a roux, it takes 5 minutes and requires only a pan and a whisk. That’s something we can handle even after a long day of cooking and baking up a storm amongst all of the family gatherings in the kitchen. Although, sometimes it does get crowded.
When using flour to thicken your gravy, it must be cooked thoroughly to avoid the taste of uncooked flour. And, the roux, a mixture of flour and fat usually butter) cooked into a paste.
What are the three types of roux?
There are three types of roux: white, blonde, and brown. They all contain the same ingredients —equal parts flour and fat—but the colors differ based on how long you cook the mixture.
Roux is a combination of fat – pan drippings, butter, or oil – and flour (cornstarch or arrowroot) the most common is butter (or meat drippings). When making the roux, if you cook it long enough, the flour will brown, adding great flavor to your sauce or dish. Here are a few things you should know about making a roux for better gravy.
Darker Roux is made by browning the flour in oil for a longer time and add a distinct nutty flavor to a dish. The darker the color, the richer the flavor.
What you will need to roast a turkey:
- Turkey
- Roasting Pan
- Meat thermometer
- Turkey Baster
- Foil or Turkey roasting bag (Reynolds)
- Butter
- Poultry Seasoning
- Johnny’s all-purpose seasonings
What you need for the gravy:
- Drippings from the roasted meats (turkey, chicken, or beef) (From a 12 – 14 lb turkey) (at least 3 cups)
- Flour/cornstarch/arrowroot
- Butter
- salt and pepper (optional)
How To Make Gravy
Ingredients
3 cups chicken or turkey stock
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour (cornstarch or arrowroot)
Instructions
- Pour the turkey drippings into a large measuring cup and let it rest until the fat comes to the top. Spoon off most of the fat and discard. Add enough stock to the measuring cup to equal 4 cups of stock/drippings combined.
- Place the roasting pan you used for the turkey on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the butter to the roasting pan and scrape up any brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the flour/cornstarch/arrowroot to the pan and whisk everything together until you form a roux. Continue to whisk until the roux is a dark brown color and fragrant. Add the stock/dripping mixture to the roux and whisk to combine.
- Turn the heat on to high and bring the liquid to a boil while still stirring. Once the liquid reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium and stir occasionally until the gravy is as thick as you’d like it.
- Once the gravy is thick, serve it immediately or keep it over very low heat until you are ready to serve. If the gravy develops a thin film on the top, just give it a quick whisk. Adjust salt and pepper if needed, but be sure to taste first as the drippings can be salty and you might not need any excess salt.
NOTE
- For those that are allergic to corn or would rather not use flour; you can use arrowroot in place of those ingredients.
- Roux-thickened gravies continue to thicken as they cool, so keep that in mind as the gravy hits the table.
- To make sure there are no lumps in your gravy, be sure to mix the cornstarch/arrowroot with a little water in a separate small bowl before adding it to the meat dripping mixture. Remember to continue to stir while gradually adding the cornstarch/arrowroot.
- When I do not have any drippings to use, I would use Better than Bouillon, which is very close to the delicious roasted meat flavor we all crave in our gravy. Comes in a 16 oz container and in Beef and Chicken flavor. Which makes 76 servings. I use a lot, so, I purchase mine from Costco.
- If you enjoy lots of garlic, my secret is, when I get a new bottle of Johnny’s seasonings; I will add granulated garlic in Johnny’s seasoning until well combined.
- As an Alternative to Roux: Cornstarch/arrowroot mixed with water (slurry) and other agents can be used in place of roux as well. However, if you cook it too long, and loses thickening potency in acidic mixtures. And, added to the drippings in the boiling point (medium-high); gradually dripping it into the drippings and stirring with a whisk until the desired thickness is achieved. Although, these items do not contribute to the flavor of a dish, and are used solely for thickening liquids.
How to Make Gravy
May we suggest pairing wine with turkey:
Choosing the perfect wine pairings for Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to be difficult. If in double, when wine pairing… you can never go wrong with a Tanya Pinot Grigio Lodi 2017 found only in our Wine of the Month Club as part of our exclusive labels through Wine Ambassador Premium Fine Wines. This is an amazing White Wine Blend that can go with almost anything, and will compliment all of the nuances with each sip; the flavor is light & fruity.
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