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Gravy
Thom Hackett
Servings: 4
Making gravy is a simple
process if you following some basic rules. When making gravy, you always
use equal amounts of fat and flour. This is very important, so always
measure carefully. If you use too much flour, you will drown out the taste
of the fat, which is where the flavor comes from. Always, always, brown
the flour in the drippings. Then, for each 2 Tablespoons of drippings and
flour you will add 1 cup of liquid.
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Ingredients
6
tablespoons dripping or butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart milk
½ teaspoon sea salt |
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Cooking Method
There are several ways to make
gravy, but here is the easiest using the two step
method.
Step One:
After the meat is
cooked, leave the needed amount of fat or drippings in
the bottom of the pan in which the meat was cooked.
Next you add the flour
to the gravy. Remember: "When making
gravy, you always use equal amounts of fat and flour.
This is very important, so always measure carefully.
If you use too much flour, you will drown out the taste
of the fat, which is where the flavor comes from."
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Add the flour to
the fat, and mix well.
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Then turn on the
heat. Start with very low heat.
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You must stir
constantly.
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You need to cook
this mixture long enough so that the flour is
cooked.
The mixture will turn
brown and begin to bubble. If you don’t cook
the flour long enough, it will have a raw taste, and
ruin the flavor of your gravy.
Step Two:
This next step, adding
the liquid to the fat/flour mixture, is where most
people get into trouble. If you just pour the milk
or water into the mixture, you may get lumps.
To be safe, bring the milk or
water temperature up before combining the two. To
do this, first add some of the very hot fat/flour
mixture to the water to bring up the temperature of the
water. Stir well to distribute the heat. Of
course, you can also slowly heat the liquid (when
heating milk be careful not to scorch it with higher
hear) in another pan before adding it to the fat/flour
mixture.
Take the pan off the
burner, and then add the milk or water, SLOWLY, stirring
continually.
After the two are well
blended, return to the burner, and bring to a boil for
about a minute. Be sure and keep stirring, so that
the fat does not separate from the liquid.
The flour is what is
going to thicken the liquid mixture. You want to
stir and cook until you get the consistency you like.
When you make
gravy, you cannot leave the pan unattended.
Have your seasonings (I just use salt) nearby so you can
put them in at the end while you are stirring.
Even after you take the pan off the stove, it will still
keep cooking for a while and will become thicker.
Continue to stir your
gravy right up to the time you put it on the table.
This is why the gravy is always done last. It is
not hard, but it takes your constant attention.
A few other things to
consider:
The more spices you add to the
meat before cooking, the more flavorful the fat and the
less spices you will need to add for flavoring.
For
Thicker or Thinner Gravy:
If you want to make your gravy thicker, increase the
amount of fat and flour that you put into each Cup of
liquid. Very thick gravy has as much as 3
Tablespoons of each. Thin gravy only one.
If you don’t have
enough fat, you can add some melted butter or margarine.
For a rich, flavorful
gravy, avoid using plain water as your liquid. Use
bouillon or soup stock.
If you are making gravy
for poultry, add some milk or cream, but be careful that
you don’t burn it.
Gravy Still
Lumpy: If your gravy still comes out with
lumps try beating it harder with a wire whisk, blender
or Cuisinart. If lumps remain, run the gravy
through a colander or strainer. Reheat over low
heat, stirring constantly.
Sauces are what
differentiate a good cook from a great cook.
Find a combination of spices and
flavorings that you like, and perfect that homemade
gravy.
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