From: harley@engrhub.ucsb.edu (Hahn)
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
Subject: GRAVY
Date: 8 Nov 92 19:48:37 GMT

Here is an edited reposting of gravy recipes and hints.  The 
information is taken from previous postings.  The credit should 
go to:
 
-- Carol Miller-Tutzauer: riacmt@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (recipe 1)
-- Nicholas J. Simicich: njs@scifi.uucp (recipe 2)
-- John David Auwen: auwen@convex.com (reposting Carol's stuff)
 
All I did was edit and format the text.  I have cut out anything 
that I think is unhealthy (fried stuff, lard, and so on).
 
You may find this compilation easier to read.  If you print it, 
you will find that each topic will fit nicely on a single page.
 
The sections are as follows:
 
                    SUPPLIES FOR MAKING GRAVY
                          MAKING A ROUX
     MAKING GRAVY FROM ROASTED TURKEY OR CHICKEN (RECIPE 1)
                  MAKING QUICK GRAVY FROM STOCK
     MAKING GRAVY FROM ROASTED TURKEY OR CHICKEN (RECIPE 2)
                     HINTS FOR MAKING GRAVY
 
Disclaimer:
   I am a writer.  I don't know anything about making gravy.
 
-- Harley Hahn
 
------- start of gravy information ---- cut here --------
 
 
                    SUPPLIES FOR MAKING GRAVY
 
Wondra flour:
   Get the tube with the shaker top.  This flour dissolves 
   without tending to form lumps.  You still have to stir but not 
   as much.
 
Bouillon:
   Bouillon cubes are better than nothing.  But the little jars 
   of Bovril are really good.
 
Salt:
   But if you use bouillon, you probably won't need it.
 
Pepper:
    Either black or white.
 
Kitchen Bouquet:
   This is caramelized vegetables.  It works well for making dark 
   brown gravy.
 
Herbs:
   Sage helps the flavor of gravy.  You can try "Poultry 
   Seasoning" that contains sage and other ingredients.  This 
   assures you of balanced herb mix.
 
 
                          MAKING A ROUX
 
A roux is flour sauteed in oil until it "cooks".  Use a roux, 
instead of cornstarch, to thicken gravy.  Cornstarch will make 
gravy taste gummy.  A roux will also color gravy.  The longer you 
cook the flour, the more brown it becomes.
 
It is relatively easy to cook the roux until it turns the color 
of peanut butter.  This will give you a nice beige color. For 
beef gravy, your pan drippings will often add the necessary 
darkness.  If you want something deep rich brown, then you must 
cook the roux until it is the color of a Hershey's milk chocolate 
bar.
 
It takes a fair amount of practice to be able to cook a roux that 
long without burning it.  If you cook it over a VERY LOW heat, 
stirring constantly, for about 1/2 hour, you can probably get it 
pretty dark.  But if it burns, you have to start over.
 
As a quick fix to darken gravy, add some Kitchen Bouquet (or 
Gravy Master; found near the Worcestershire sauce in the grocery 
store).  In this way, you can safely make a medium-color roux 
(peanut-butter color) and then "fix it up" with some Kitchen 
Bouquet.
 
Flavor MUST come from pan drippings.  If you dilute them too 
much, your gravy will be equally flavorless.  Caramelized onions 
can help, and so throw some onion chunks into the roasting pan 
with your meat.  You can also throw in some chunks of carrots and 
celery.  This will help stretch your meat drippings, flavor-wise.
 
Sometimes, adding some salt "tricks" your palate into thinking 
there is more meat flavor in the gravy.  However, be careful not 
to add too much salt. Another option is to add a seasoning 
mixture, for example, add about 1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt.  
Some fresh herbs added just at the end of cooking your roux and 
before adding liquid to the roux mixture can also add flavor and 
help stretch "thin" drippings.
 
Final note:  Making a roux is really quite easy.  Combining oil 
and flour into a "roux" prevents the flour from caking or making 
lumps.  Cooking the flour a bit first takes away the pasty raw 
flavor.  Light rouxs are French; darker rouxs are Cajun. 
 
 
     MAKING GRAVY FROM ROASTED TURKEY OR CHICKEN (RECIPE 1)
 
1. When meat has finished roasting, remove from oven.  Let meat 
   sit for at least 20 minutes before doing anything.   
 
2. Remove meat to a serving plate (or a cutting board if you want 
   to carve it first before putting pieces on serving plate).  
   Now you are left with the roasting pan and the "drippings." 
 
3. Pour about 1/2 cup of water into the pan with drippings.  With a 
   spoon, keep stirring the liquid around until nearly all of the 
   "crusties" from the pan have dissolved in the liquid.
 
Notes:
 
   In the case of poultry, don't worry about scraping up all the 
   skin that sticks to the pan; just the crusted-on browned 
   juices.
 
   Since turkeys are so much larger pieces of meat, you should 
   probably pour off most of the grease and then use more water, 
   about 1 to 1 1/2 cups.
 
4. If you want your gravy to be "clean" of meat/skin particles, 
   strain the meat juice through a sieve into a bowl or other 
   vessel.  Set this aside.  You will need it soon. 
 
5. Get a heavy saucepan and vegetable oil or some of the poured 
   off extra grease.  Use about 4 Tablespoons (unless you are 
   cooking turkey, in which case you should use about 1/2 cup).
 
   Heat the oil in the saucepan.  Then add slightly less flour 
   than you used oil.  That is, about 3 Tablespoons of flour (for 
   turkey, a little less than 1/2 cup).
 
   Fry the flour over a medium heat for a short time to "cook 
   out" the raw taste of the flour.  If the mixture is thick or 
   gummy, add small amounts of oil until the mixture runs to coat 
   the bottom of your pan.
 
   If you want, you can let the flour brown a bit but be careful 
   not to burn it.  If the mixture does burn, then you MUST start 
   over.
 
   Now pour the liquid you have been saving into the flour/oil 
   mixture, stirring steadily.  Cook until the gravy begins a 
   gentle rolling boil.   
 
6. If at this point, the gravy is too thick, add some water to 
   thin it.  If the gravy is too thin, do ONE of the following:
   -- lower the heat a bit and simmer away some of the liquid
   -- cook up a small amount of flour/oil mixture to add
 
7. Adjust the seasonings to taste. 
 
 
                  MAKING QUICK GRAVY FROM STOCK
 
1. Follow the same basic procedure as making gravy from roasted 
   chicken or turkey.  However, use stock or broth (either fresh 
   or canned) as the "juice". 
 
2. If you want a "brown" gravy and your stock isn't very dark, 
   then just be sure to slowly brown the flour/oil mixture first.  
   Also feel free to quickly fry some seasonings in the roux 
   mixture just before adding the stock or broth (for example: 
   herbs or combinations with salt, pepper, cayenne, dry mustard, 
   whatever). 
 
 
     MAKING GRAVY FROM ROASTED TURKEY OR CHICKEN (RECIPE 2)
 
1. Pour off most of the grease.  Start with a couple of 
   tablespoons of drippings only.  Unless you plan on making a 
   whole couple quarts of gravy, you don't want it too greasy.  
   
   If you don't have a couple of tablespoons of grease, 
   supplement with vegetable oil.  If you must, you can start 
   with plain vegetable oil and add extra bouillon to the water 
   in step two.  Consider browning a little onion or garlic in 
   plain oil.
 
2. Prepare the stock that will go into the gravy.  If you have 
   non-greasy pan drippings (skim the grease well), warm them 
   over low heat.  If not, boil a couple of cups of water and use 
   bouillon.
 
   One secret is to put nearly boiling liquid into the mix at the 
   appropriate point. If you know you are going to make gravy, 
   start heating your bouillon about the same time you start your 
   burgers, or a few minutes after you turn your chicken.
 
3. Heat the pan to slow-medium frying temperature.  Put in about 
   half again as much flour as you have grease.  In other words, 
   if you started with two tablespoons of grease, put in three 
   tablespoons of flour.
 
   Fry.  Stir.
 
   The mixture should be pretty stiff.  If it isn't stiff enough 
   to where it seems a little dry, use the shaker top to shake 
   some flour on.  If you get it too dry, don't worry.  Keep 
   stirring.  When it browns just a little, or is sticking to the 
   pan, you are ready for step 4.
 
4. It is time to make the gravy.  Add the hot water a little at a 
   time and stir a lot between additions.  A whisk helps here, 
   but a fork will do.  Add more liquid, a little at a time, 
   until it approaches the consistency you want.  At some point, 
   you may have a single lump, sort of attached to your fork.  
   Add more hot liquid and stir a lot.
 
   Allow it to boil.  Taste it.  It probably tastes flat.  Add 
   some pepper.  Add some salt.  Taste it again.  If it gets too 
   thick, add some more liquid.  If it is too thin, add some 
   flour. Too thin is better than too thick.
 
   Add some herbs, not too much. Maybe 1/4 teaspoon, then boil 
   for a minute, then taste, then maybe add a little more.  Let 
   it boil, not too hard, for 3-4 minutes after you add flour the 
   last time.
 
5. For brown gravy only: add a couple of drops of Kitchen Bouquet 
   (the jar will stick closed, hot tap water will loosen it).
 
 
                     HINTS FOR MAKING GRAVY
 
When you cook meat in a pan, some residue may remain.  This will 
dissolve and become part of the gravy.  If you brown onions, the 
onions will partially dissolve in the gravy and add flavor.  This 
is a desirable goal -- and is one of the marks of an excellent 
gravy -- unless the residue in the pan was really burned black.
 
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If you prepare a seasoned flour to dredge chicken in make the 
gravy with that seasoned flour.
 
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Cayenne pepper, in moderate quantities, dresses up a gravy.
 
----------
 
For those of you who believe in making a roux, brown the flour 
first.  To brown flour, put it in a heavy cast iron skillet over 
a low flame.  Stir occasionally until it becomes a golden brown.  
The flour will then make a darker gravy and give it a really 
"nutty" taste.
 
--------------- end of gravy information -------------
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking