Seems like cornstarch or arrowroot would work fine...I have no experience with xantham gum. It might not need a lot of thickening if you're reducing it down that much. Yum. Can't wait to hear how it turns out.

Apparently I'm using rice flour this year...no experience with that,either...assuming it'll be like a traditional flour gravy.

I agree, the cornstarch will work, I've not worked with xanthan gum either.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Annie

Thanks!

I'd caution against xanthan gum for a Thanksgiving experiment. Wouldn't take but a tiny pinch too much to turn your gravy gloppy. (I glopped up some sauce just this week so I'm fresh off an experiment gone bad.)

tapioca flour is very translucent.

dcarch

A bit late to this party.
I've used all of the above and never know why. : )
I just scratch me head when i need something thickened, take a bit of warmed liquid and do an experiment.
Arrowroot might be my choice if you already have it. Just mix it in a bit of water and take a half cup warm stock and add slowly, stir, give it a minute. Go slow, and not the whole gravy.

I used Agar last week for a chicken pot pie and it was perfect. I have the powder and some sheets. Seems to be my go-to and not much is needed. I've used it for dumplings.
DH does the gravy for the turkey and i don't intrude. The classic flour rouge, brown and nutty. The stock i made last week is a chicken paw stock. Even better for dumplings and froze some for todays gravy.

(quote)...Agar
It is a flavorless gelling agent
It is derived from Gracilaria, a bright red sea vegetable (seaweed)
ItâÂÂs also known by its Japanese name Kanten or Agar Agar, the Malay term for the seaweed from which itâÂÂs produced
It is available flaked, powdered, or in bars
The flakes are traditionally produced by cooking and pressing the seaweed and then naturally freeze-drying the residue to form bars which are then powdered or flaked.
It is rich in iodine and trace minerals, and has mildly laxative properties
It is used as a growth medium for petri dishes to grow mold and bacteria
It is used as a gelling agent in food preparation

Here is a link that might be useful: what is agar?

I am not sure if agar agar can be used as a thickening agent in cooking.

I have not tried. I only tried to use it as a vegetarian jello.

dcarch

I'm way late to the game but I have had good luck with cornstarch as a thickener for "clear " gravy BUT it does not reheat well at all.....

Again, thanks. My attempt to make clear gravy will have to wait for another day, by the time I finished reducing, there was no time to do the freezer clarify process. That's what comes of leaving T'giving to the last minute. It's just going to be standard make ahead gravy, I'll use 0.5% xantham gum to thicken.

This is too late to be of any help,
But I have always used cornstarch
when thickening gravies that go with roasted meats.
Whether beef, chicken, turkey, pork, whatever,
Clear gravies are a 'must'.

Flour is used for gravies with fried meats.
It just seems 'right' hat way.

Why? ? ?
Because that's how my mother did it.

Rusty

dcarch. It does work. I would not necessarily 'recommend' it, but, it does act much differently than bone based gelatins. It works quickly and at room temp, and holds thick when heated.
I just now added a tsp to a cup of water, deglazed a small pot that had a leftover bit of turkey gravy from breakfast. (a scant tbsp of gravy in the pan)
I did completely doubt what i said also, : )
Very much like cornstarch, but re-heats nicely. I only used it in the pot pie as i noticed i had only used stock and no 'gravy' thickener. Just before the crust went on, i needed something fast and no time to wait for another choice. Agar was the first thing i saw. Well over its 85 heat to the table, But thickened nice and clear as it cooled enough to eat. Not the usual floury or thick gravy of most pot pies. A clean tasting gravy.
I have arrowroot, cornstarch, and tapioca. What i normally use.
I've had a freebee 5lb bag of agar for some time and was experimenting for vegetarian dumplings.
Chicken paw stock, roasted feet with the tips of the toes cut off, makes a wonderful clear broth for ginger pork dumplings. The cooled thick jelly stock is a good binder for the filling,
and melts in the dumpling when steaming...