I sometimes use potato starch instead of a roux, but I also do not use cornstarch in gravy, partly because it often gets too thick. I also tend not to use the term "gravy" because it means different things to different people. My Sicilian roommate in San Francisco used "gravy" to mean tomato sauce. I tend to use terms such as Bechamel, Mornay (if it has cheese), or Velouté (if it is made with stock instead of milk), and velouté is what I normally make, either for meat or vegetables, but often I just call all of them "sauce", which seems to be a nice catch-all. I tend not to like sauces that have milk or cream in them, and I especially do not like Alfredo sauce, partly because many people put nutmeg in it, but I do not like it even when no nutmeg is used. My favorite sauce is chili sauce, and it must not have any tomato in it.

stir_fryi, I have the "perfect" solution for you or anyone who wants to have stress free foolproof gravy. This is the gravy recipe that I have been using for years. It took a lot of stress off of me when I first started preparing Thanksgiving for my husband's family. You prepare most of it ahead and then just add the drippings at the end. Mine comes out great every time. Planning tip: Can be made through step 4 one day ahead and refrigerated. (I even prepare the broth further(through step 2) in advance and freeze - then add the butter/flour mixture the day before Thanksgiving) Perfect Gravy (Woman's Day 1994) BROTH *Turkey neck and giblets (including liver) (You could use turkey parts purchased from grocery store for this step if you don't have access to the neck and giblets) *6 cups chicken broth (I use canned) *2 large onions sliced *1 cups sliced carrots *1 cup dry white wine or water *1/2 cup celery leaves *6 cloves garlic peeled *1 Bay leaf 6 Tablespoons butter @ room temp 3/4 cup all purpose flour Turkey Drippings Salt and Pepper to taste 1. Cut turkey neck and heart in half. Put into a large saucepan along with gizzard and remaining broth ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered for 1 1/2 hrs. Add liver and simmer for 30 mins longer. 2. Discard liver and giblets. Strain broth through colander/strainer into a large measuring cup, pressing vegetables to extract as much juice as possible. Discard vegetables. Add water to broth if needed to make 6 cups. 3. Mash butter and flour with a fork until blended to a paste. 4. Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in flour mixture, l chunk at a time, until blended.( I take the butter flousr mixture and add the broth to it in a jar to make it smooth and easier to blend into the broth) Whisk until thickened and boiling. Boil 3 minutes longer to cook out any floury taste. 5. After turkey is removed from roasting pan: Spoon fat off pan drippings and discard. Stir juices in pan(add up to 2 cups of water if juices have evaporated) scraping up brown bits on bottom of pan. Add no more than 2 cups to gravy. Heat over medium-low heat until hot. Season to taste(sometimes I add a little kitchen bouquet or gravy master for color or taste if needed)

I am not fixing our turkey this year, as we are going to our granddaughter's, but I never roast our turkey, I guess you would call it baked. The seasoning for it are as follows, lots of salt inside, a stick of real butter and rum or rum flavoring. It is put breast down either in a roasting pan and covered tightly with foil or in a baking bag. Before sealing up add a pint or so of water. Then let it bake away for near 4 hours. I always fix mine the day before dividing the light and dark meat in separate pans. Heat in oven the next day with some of the broth from the turkey. The broth is used to make gravy and it is very good. This recipe came from my Hawaiian cousin and since tasting his, this is the only way we fix ours. Nice and moist and tasty. Happy Thanksgiving. Sue

I've ONLY used a fresh, nat'l turkey for 25+ years (Huntsinger in So. Calif.) and I get tons of brown bits, so I'm confused how this would happen to you. I'm clarifying to you that my turkey NEVER has been injected with the "8-12%" salt solution, etc. as many are but buyers often neglect to see the fine print. My procedure is to Pam my roasting pan and rack, place the washed and cleaned/trimmed turkey on the rack and THEN proceed to season it all over, including the insides, along with a final sprinkling of paprika for color all over. Some of all of this, of course, falls to the bottom of the roasting pan. I then always cook breast-side down for first 45 min. @ 425 F. and then breast side up for the remaining time at 325F., rubbing it with softened butter just once during cooking. I also tilt the unstuffed bird just prior to removing it from the pan for any add'l drippings that were inside. I have TONS of brown bits in the pan + about 1/2" at least of dk. brown drippings. I then separate this, commence with the gravy makings in the same roasting pan and then add in at the right time the cup or two of turkey broth (+ chp'd giblets and neck bits) I cooked earlier with the giblets, neck, wing tips, onion and water that boiled for 1.5 hrs. The color is DARK brown with NO soy sauce or anything else added (sorry, DCarch). Delish.