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gravy question

18 years ago

If you have just a little juice say from a roast, how do you make more gravy? I use bullion cubes or gravy mix but I just don't like the flavor.

Also, how do you thicken yours? Corn starch, flour?

Thanks guys

Judy

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Comments (8)

grammahony
18 years ago
I use corn starch/water for roast. Add bullion cubes to some hot water, and the drippings, and then add the cornstarch mixture to the drippings. Add more water or canned beef broth if to thick.
Leslie
glenda_al
18 years ago
This is the basic gravy recipe from my college home ec class.
Now I just eyeball!
2 Tbl fat
1-2 Tbl flour
1 cup water/broth

Remove the fat, add back to pan 2 Tbl fat, add flour. I stir with my whisk and once it's heated, add the liquid and whisk away until thickened. I personally like thick gravy!

I always add Dale's steak seasoning/worcestershire sauce/soy sauce, whichever is handiest. THAT is what adds the flavor, my OPINION only, but family always loves my gravy. Plus my new DIL raves over my gravy.
Season to taste.
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Ditto on what other folks said...except...if you use flour, be sure and simmer the gravy for at least 10 minutes after you add it to avoid a raw flour flavor. A mixture of cornstarch & just enough broth or water to liquefy it takes less time than flour and water, because it thickens almost instantly. A novice gravy maker should probably stick to one or other of these methods, especially the day of! For myself, I would probably make a roux (blond is fine) and thicken it to my taste ahead of time so as not to worry about it later. Instructions for making roux are easy to google up, but the basic idea is to cook flour in some form of fat (for gravy, I like to use chicken fat or bacon fat, but oil, lard or butter are fine-slightly more fat than flour) over a medium heat until the raw flavor of the flour is cooked off. This mixture is then whisked in, thickening the gravy or sauce or whatever. Cooking a roux for longer periods of time, so that they grow very gradually darker, produces a thickener that adds certain desired flavors to a dish. For example, a dark roux, called a "chocolate roux" by many, is both a thickener and a flavor enhancement for dishes such as etoufee or gumbo. Remember that the longer flour cooks, the less it retains of it's thickening property. A dark roux thickens far less readily than a blonde roux. I hope I didn't just make this sound way too complicated. :)
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sheilajoyce_gw
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I add salt and pepper too but make it your way, Glenda. I really cook the flour very well for 2 minutes, and when I add the water, I stir up all the pieces and drippings from the bottom of the pan. All those pieces and drippings make for good flavor.
socks
18 years ago
A whisk is essential too.
marilyn_c
18 years ago
If I don't have enough juice from a roast, I keep Swanson's beef broth on hand, and stir it into the drippings. Then I thicken it with a little bit of cornstarch dissolved in water.
It makes a nice glossy gravy. I will put a little chopped parsley in it and once in awhile a tiny drop of coffee or a tiny smidgen of ketchup, which will give it a more robust flavor.
monica_pa Grieves
18 years ago
I de-glaze the roasting pan with vegetable water...usually potato, since we like mashed poratoes with a roast.
Potato water contains starch, and helps to thicken the gravy.
Otherwise, I use flour and water as a thickener.

And yes...a wisk helps for a smooth gravy.
jannie
18 years ago
I've never been good making gravy. I buy those emvelopes of powdered gravy mix. At Thanksgiving, I bought a quart of organic chicken stock, boiled some vegetables in it (onion,carrot,green pepper) till they got real soft, then put the liquid and veggies in the blender. Then I reduced the liquid down to 4 cups (by boiling). Then added a packet of gravy mix. Also added the drippings from the turkey. Stir like crazy with a whisk. This gravy turned out great. (I usually ask DH to make the gravy)or buy canned gravy. Hope this makes sense.
lindyluwho
18 years ago
I use canned broth - never boullon. I thicken with flour, not cornstarch. I prefer using Wondra Flour it mixes in smoother.

Linda

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