Gravy Guide
Gravy is the second best part of the Thanksgiving meal maybe even the best depending on who you ask, and so often is the ultamite tests of patience. Take all the guesswork out of your gravy with our guide.
Your Gravy Dilemma's Solved!
Gravy is lumpy.
With a whisk or rotary beater, beat the gravy until smooth. If all other attempts fail, use a food processor, strainer or blender. Reheat, stirring constantly; serve.
Gravy is too salty.
If the oversalting is slight:
A. Add several raw potato slices and cook until the potato slices are translucent. Remove the slices prior to serving.
B. Add a few pinches of light brown sugar (only a few pinches, or gravy will become too sweet). If the oversalting is severe, the gravy must be repaired by increasing the quantity. Prepare another batch of gravy, omitting all salt. Blend the two batches together.
Gravy is too light in color.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of instant coffee, or add a little browning sauce – go light on the browning sauce; add slowly and incorporate into the gravy before adding more to achieve the desired color – a little goes a long way.
Gravy is not thick.
If time permits, allow the gravy to continue to simmer on the range top. If time does not allow, mix the following thickening agents as indicated:
A. Cornstarch - Blend 1 teaspoon per cup of liquid in cold water. Stir until dissolved then mix into gravy. Continue to cook and stir to eliminate the cornstarch flavor.
B. Paste of flour and cold water.
C. Arrowroot - Blend 1 tablespoon per cup of liquid in cold water. Stir until dissolved, then mix into gravy. Can be served as soon as the gravy thickens due to arrowroot's lack of taste.
NOTE: Mixing starch with cold water before adding it to a hot mixture prevents lumping.
Gravy is too thick.
Slowly whisk in more broth until the desired thickness is reached.
Gravy is greasy/fatty.
For an immediate fix, the fat can be skimmed off the top or soaked up with a fresh bread slice. If more time allows, chill the gravy, skim off the fat and reheat the gravy until it bubbles.
Make the classic:
1 cup turkey pan drippings
1/8-1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
9 cups turkey broth or chicken broth
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions:
Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart glass measure (do not clean roasting pan), reserving fat. (If using a fat separator, pour pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes)
Carefully pour pan juices from separator into a 2-quart measure, and reserve fat left in separator.) If there is less than 1/2 cup reserved fat, add melted butter.
Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to total 8 cups liquid (2 quarts).
Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add 1 cup of remaining stock and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 1 minute.
Pour through fine-mesh sieve into glass measure with stock.
Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a 4-quart heavy saucepan and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 5 minutes.
Add hot stock with pan juices in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking.
Stir in any turkey juices accumulated on platter and simmer gravy 1 minute.
Season with salt and pepper.