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December 2009 - QUESTION: I'm a fairly good cook, but one of the things that totally escapes me is how to make a good gravy. I try everything and it always comes out watery. Help! ~Monique from Toronto
ANSWER: Gravy seems to be one of those things that cooks are either good at or not. That's because it does take a bit of practice to find out how to do it right. For years, I kept stashes of the canned stuff in my pantry just in case mine never seemed to work out. Thankfully, over the years I've managed to find get a recipe down to works for me. Though I still have my "gravy failure" moments.
The main thing that you need for gravy is some sort of thickener. Typically it is flour or corn starch. Several years ago, I did an article on the different type of thickeners you can use for stews and sauces. You can view that here. Having the proper thickener can make a big difference in your gravy.
The gravy I make is a traditional recipe that starts with a roux (heated butter and flour). A trick I found helpful in assuring good thickening is to make sure your liquid ingredients are hot, or at the very least room temperature. Using cold liquids increases cooking time and can make for an inferior gravy.
Below is my gravy recipe, which I have adapted from several other similar recipes. It is a base recipe which I use both for brown/meat gravies, as well as white cream sauces.
Gravy Recipe
3 to 4 tablespoons "fat" (butter, oil, drippings, combo)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups water, broth or (milk/cream for country-type gravy)
Salt and pepper and/or other seasonings to taste
Browning sauce (such as Kitchen Bouquet), if desired
Directions: Heat fat in pan until melted/hot. Slowly add flour, whisking until smooth and slightly brown, about 1-2 minutes. Add warm liquid slowly, whisking to blend and get rid of any lumps. Cook until thickened. Add browning sauce according to direction, then adjust seasoning to taste.
Sometimes when you make gravy, no matter what you do, it just doesn't seem to want to thicken. At that point, I recommend using cornstarch. A tablespoon or two dissolved in water can then be added to the cooking gravy. Typically you will see a difference in the gravy a few second after adding it. Make sure the gravy is at a good boil to insure the best thickening. Some cooks prefer to use corn starch as the main thickener, which is fine. I happen to prefer the taste the flour gives.
On a side note, typically when making creamy gravies, I use half broth and half milk. This adds nice flavor to the sauce, however cuts down the fat content a bit.
As much as I believe that it's possible to consistently make good gravy, sometimes things just don't work out. Don't fret too much. A thin gravy is not the worst thing in the world. Just keep practicing during the "off-season" and hopefully your technique will get better before the next holiday season.
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Answer by: Michelle Lehmann
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