How to Make
Great Gravy
The following tips for making gravy come to us from the
National Turkey Federation. While they were written with
America's favorite bird in mind, most of them will work for
any kind of gravy.
The art of gravy making can be a challenge to those who only
prepare the robust sauce on special holiday occasions. To
produce a full flavored gravy, it is critical to cook the
flour in about an equal portion of fat until the flour has
lost its raw taste. A rather common problem is the
temptation to use too much flour, which decreases the
flavor. Remember the gravy will continue to thicken after it
has been removed from the heat. A good rule is to use
between 1 and 2 tablespoons of flour for each cup of liquid
and then give the mixture time to thicken.
If a shortage of turkey gravy is a common problem at your
house, double the turkey gravy recipe by using melted butter
and extra warmed turkey or other poultry stock.
The following chart lists several common gravy
problems and ways to eliminate them so the grand feast will
be complete.
Gravy Problems |
Gravy Solutions |
Gravy is lumpy |
With
a whisk rotary beater, beat the gravy until
smooth. If all other attempts fail, use a food
processor, strainer or blender. Reheat, stirring
constantly. Serve. |
Gravy is too salty |
If
the over salting is slight:
A. Add several raw potato
slices and cook until the potato slices are
translucent. Remove and discard the potato prior
to serving.
B. Add a few pinches of light
brown sugar. DON'T ADD TOO MUCH or your gravy
will turn sweet.
If the over salting is severe, the gravy must be
repaired by increasing the quantity. Prepare
another batch of gravy, omitting all salt. Blend
the two batches together. |
Gravy is too light in color |
Add
1/2 teaspoon of instant coffee |
Gravy is not thick |
If time permits,
allow the gravy to continue to simmer on the
stovetop. If time does not allow, mix the
following thickening agents as indicated:
A. Cornstarch - Blend 1
teaspoon per cup of liquid in cold water. Stir
until dissolved then mix into gravy. Continue to
cook and stir to eliminate the cornstarch
flavor.
B.
Make a thin paste of flour and cold water, stir
into gravy and continue to cook to eliminate the
raw flour flavor.
C.
Arrowroot - Blend 1 tablespoon per cup liquid in
cold water. Stir until dissolved, then mix into
gravy. Can be served as soon as the gravy
thickens due to arrowroot's lack of taste.
NOTE: Mixing starch with cold
water before adding it to a hot mixture prevents
lumping. |
Gravy is too thick |
Slowly whisk in more
broth until the desired thickness is achieved. |
Gravy is greasy/fatty |
For an immediate
fix, the fat can be skimmed off the top or
soaked up with a fresh bread slice. If more time
allows, chill the gravy, skim off the fat and
reheat the gravy until it bubbles. |
|