Gravy Recipe

My gravy recipe will make a delicious sauce made from the pan drippings that are created when you roast meat. This is an Instructable on making a turkey gravy recipe that's perfect for Thanksgiving, but can also be used whenever you've got some drippings that you'd like to put to good use. Turning drippings into gravy takes only a few minutes, can be done on the stove top, uses only flour and water as ingredients, and is a worthwhile addition to any savory meal.

Pass the gravy Instructable please. 

Step 1: Gather materials

To make gravy you need a few simple things:

• drippings (1/2 cup not including fat)
• cornstarch of flour (1 or 2 tablespoons)
• broth (1 cup of chicken, turkey or beef - whatever flavor you like)
• ice water
• mixing bowl
• whisk
• saucepan

Having a fat separator like the one pictured below is optional. They are super helpful for making gravy, but you can also just spoon off the excess fat manually.

If you have less drippings then I did, that's fine, my drippings are from a pretty big turkey. Just use whatever you have available. You can always add more broth to increase your gravy volume.

Comments

[haoran]

"it's almost impossible to end up with lumps" ... if you put it into cold water!

If you make a mistake and put it straight into your gravy, you're going to have lumpy gravy!

[cameronm96]

why did the gravy go from bein a golden-brown colour and then in the last slide it was suddenly brown? Thanks.

[zascecs]

maybe it just settled?

[othimus]

I must say, though, I fixed this turkey, last year, and it was by far, the BEST TURKEY we ever had. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

[othimus]

Probably, a little juice, or boullion. Ya think???

[buddie1st]

If you are cooking for someone with wheat or grain allergies ,I thicken my gravy with mashed potatos . be careful if you add to much pottato stretch the gravy with a little broth or water

[MonkeyWench]

Gravy lightens because of the cornstarch or flour slurry. It darkens back up once it's done cooking.

[buddie1st]

you should concider this as it is the easiest not lump anti celiac gravy and is made with fresh or left over mashed potatoes and broth so can be made anytime with tetra pack brothes

[heheheha]

HI there. Gravy looks Great! Thought I'd offer some technical corrections, the kind that are ALWAYS present in comments... :) Slurry is a combination of a starch and a cold liquid. However, if you use flour (which is a starch), it is TECHNICALLY a white wash. Slurry is fine, but if you were writing for your papers to become a chef, it's white wash. A slurry made with cornstarch will be superior in several ways to a whitewash. First, as you mentioned, is both the thickening power as well as the taste. However, cornstarch has the nice benefit of creating a bit of a shine, which is great for presentation. Arrow root is another common starch option; great shine, but a little less thickening power then cornstarch, and also less opaque (more "clear"). Just something to keep in mind. One last tip...if you are going to be waiting to serve the gravy, take a small slice of butter and place it on the top of the gravy. It melts and stops a skin from forming, plus provides a nice flavour. Again, these are just "technical," corrections, the intstrucatbles itself is great. Clear, concise, and pretty pictures. :)

[Crash2108]

 You write as if you're a master chef but then you suggest corn starch.  Even a mediocre cook knows that corn starch creates a more gel-like texture!  Flour produces that gravy like texture that gravy is known for.  And mixing flour with water is just fine called a slurry.

[heheheha]

Preferences. :) 

And I wish I was a master chef, but...not so mch.

[Robotrix]

that butter trick sounds useful and delicious! Is that a chef trick?

[piks]

You're wasting all the flavour from the turkey fat and thinning the gravy with water by using what you call a slurry! Why not make a roux from the turkey fat and ordinary flour and use that to thicken the gravy, saving all that flavour and needing less stock (what you call broth). Sorry about the difference in wording, but we are still 2 nations seperated by a common language!

[frollard]

**using fat in the gravy is definitely a good method; but it does increase the ...<drumroll>...fat content considerably. 

Fat has a lot of great flavour, but it also is something everybody needs to cut back on.

[axiesdad]

Great instructable, nice clear "how to." Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who has to know "why." You emphasize not letting the gravy come to a boil; I've always brought it to a boil, why is that wrong? I also lean toward using a roux rather than a slurry, but that's just personal preference.

[frollard]

I always let it boil - thats how you cook the flour!

You dont want it to BURN, but thats different from 'boil'.

[djr6789]

this is going on top of my to do list it looks so lush!

[ElChick]

NOM NOM NOM!!!!! (8O)>

[zhenpenthaye]

piks! that's what I always do to make gravy, using the fat dripping from the meat tlk make a roux and incorporating the hydrophilic drippings and stock. Then I serve it to my family, butr can't eat it myself, being veggie :D

[The Mad Pancake]

haha that sucks, being a vegitarian and having to cook meat for your family.

[kg1]

I made chicken gravy last week and homemade really does conquer over canned/jarred store bought gravy crap. I used flour as my thickener and all together I'd say it took about 22 mins or so from start to finish to make. Good times!

[piks]

Sorry, when I said thinning I should have said diluting the flavour.

[heheheha]

Butter thing is commercial kitchen trick; and easily replicated at home! As to the roux idea; you don't thin the gravy with the white wash. The flour thickens, the water is simply so that you can incorporate the flour without making lumps. Once these things are added, you cook the gravy more thereby reducing it; the more you reduce the liquid content, the more you concentrate the flavour. And the first thing to turn into steam and evaporate will be the water. The only real advantage to the roux is that you DO get added flavour, IF you make a brown roux. Then you get a slightly nutty flavour added. However, with most people becoming more and more health concious, a slurry or whitewash is the healthier alternative. However, a good chef can make a pretty lean roux and incorporate it. Leaner roux' use less fat, but are harder to incorporate without lumping. So to sum up; using something other than a roux will not disolve flavour, it simply is a means to thicken.

[thebostik]

Definitely do a taste test, and you'll probably want to add salt.

[peguiono]

Gravy is the best stuff ever invented :D whether its biscuits and gravy or mashed potatoes and gravy it's a fact :P

[Sandisk1duo]

looks like chocolate sauce