Tips for Making Perfect Gravy

by Susan on 11/06/09 at 8:18 am

If your idea of making gravy to go with your Thanksgiving dinner is opening up a can, then this blog is for you.  In a pinch, canned gravy can be a lifesaver, but it’s always preferable to make your own from scratch (unless you like that unmistakable taste of a can with your turkey and mashed potatoes).  The process is not as difficult as many people think, as long as you understand the basic steps to keep the gravy smooth and creamy, instead of pasty and lumpy.

So what’s the big deal about gravy? 

Gravy was most likely developed as a way to eliminate waste by using up every bit of meat or poultry.  By mixing the meat’s juices with a thickening agent and selected seasonings, cooks were able to make a considerable amount of gravy that could extend the meal and make it tastier.

A good and simple gravy is merely the juices and pan drippings that come from your turkey (or other meat)  that have been seasoned, thickened and cooked sufficiently so the thickening agent (either flour, cornstarch or arrowroot) is no longer raw and the mixture is velvety smooth. 

To make easy and successful gravy, here are a few tips, culled from some of the best kitchens across America.

• Skim off excess fat and grease from the pan drippings.
• Put the pan with the juices and drippings on the stove and heat gently, scraping off all the little bits of brown particles from the bottom and sides of the pan. Stir into the drippings.
• Remove about 1½ cups of the drippings and dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or 2 tablespoons of flour into the liquid.  Return to the pan and stir constantly until the gravy thickens. 
• Season with salt, pepper and any other herbs or spices that suit your taste.
• Voila!  Perfect gravy!  (Just remember to stir continuously.)

Here are some additional tips from the pros:

• Cornstarch and arrowroot do not cloud sauces, but they quickly lose their thickening power when the gravy is reheated or overheated.  For a more stable thickener, use flour.  The best flour to use is the extra-fine flour that comes in a shaker, such as Wondra .    
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch thickens 1 ½ to 2 cups liquid.
• 2 ½ teaspoons of arrowroot thickens 1 cup liquid.
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour thickens 1 ½ to 2 cups liquid.
• The key to making lump-free gravy is to dissolve the thickening agent separately (either in water or in pan drippings) before adding it to the gravy, and to keep stirring!

Gravy isn’t difficult if you keep your eye on the pan and continuously stir the mixture.  Seasonings and additional ingredients (mushrooms, onions, thyme, rosemary, celery, peppers, etc.) add their own unique flavors.  If you want to experiment with some tasty gravy recipes, here are a few from the FriendsEat.com archives.

Apple-Onion Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy

Garlic-Rosemary Turkey with Mushroom Gravy

Citrus Glazed Turkey with Chipotle Gravy

Herb Rubbed Turkey with Roasted Garlic Gravy

Sage Roasted Turkey with Caramelized Onions and Sage Gravy

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5. Tips for Defrosting Your Thanksgiving Turkey

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