DIY -- Gravy

Gravy is not easy -- unless you know the tricks.

In the Salisbury steak post, I had you make gravy the quick way, with cornstarch.  Now I'm going to teach you the classic way, the French way, which also works for chicken and other meats.

Start two hours before you plan to serve whatever you will put the gravy on.  Roast your chicken or other meat and pour the drippings into a bowl.  If it's chicken, you should also boil the giblets for half an hour in at least a cup of water.  Pepper it lightly.

At least an hour before you plan to serve, make your roux.
Chop one onion and half a carrot finely and sauté in 2 TABLESPOONS of oil, margarine, or butter (I cook kosher so I would not use the butter) over 2 1/2 heat, no higher.   You can also add 4 diced mushroom caps, half a stalk of celery chopped, or a piece of green bell pepper the size of your palm diced fine.  Or all of them!

It's done when the onion starts to look transparent instead of white or yellow.

Now add 2 TABLESPOONS of flour and stir to coat the vegetable.  Keep stirring until the mixture is only slightly damp.  The roux is done.

Now add your broth made from the drippings or giblets and stir thoroughly.  Taste and add pepper if you want.  Leave the lid off and let this simmer -- bubbling slightly -- for at least half an hour.  It should be thicker.  Let it simmer another half hour.  If it isn't nice and thick -- and the quantity will be less by this point -- you can use the cornstarch mix if you want.

So why not just go the cornstarch route with the drippings and giblets and forget all this work?  It's fine by me, I'm no snob.  I'm just here to show you that you can avoid the chemicals in the canned gravy and the money you pay for the manufacturing of the chemicals, the gravy, and the packaging and get a superior product, if you DIY.

© Patricia Jo Heil, 2013-2018 All Rights Reserved