Few things complete a meal like a rich, flavorful gravy. And what I find so interesting about this is that it’s not like gravy is the main component of a meal; rather, it’s, well, you know, gravy. And yet, in all honesty, I’d be run out of Dodge if I didn’t make gravy with things like turkeys or roasts! In fact, my husband was quite fond of quoting a friend of his who used to say at meals in a voice of disbelief, “What? No gravy?”
Things to know about gravy: First and foremost, making gravy is NOT an exact science! Even if you do the exact same thing every single time, the roasted meat itself won’t give you exactly the same amount of drippings every time, which means you’ll have to adjust as you go. But that’s the good news because once you've made it a few times, you'll get to know what you like and want in gravy, and more importantly, how to achieve the results you want every time!
Another thing. When you’re roasting a turkey, it’s important to place it on a rack in a roasting pan with about an inch of water on the bottom. To this water, add 3 chicken bouillon cubes in varying places around the roasting pan. The two main reasons for doing it this way are 1). Adding water prevents the fat from splattering all over your oven, which keeps it from smoking and making everything you bake or roast thereafter taste burnt and 2) Adding the bouillon to the water while the meat cooks will give you a really nice broth in which to make a flavorful gravy.
Ingredients:
Yields approximately 4 cups
- 1⁄2 stick salted butter, melted
- 1⁄2 cup white flour
- All meat drippings from your bird -that have had water, and the 3 bouillon cubes added to it before cooking.
Instructions:
-Begin making the gravy only after your bird comes out of the oven.
-Melt the butter in a large skillet. To this, add flour and whisk until it is completely blended with the butter. Note that the butter/flour mixture won't be smooth at this stage, rather it will be kind of lumped up. If you find that there is excess flour that you just cannot incorporate, add just a little more butter to the pan and work it in that way.
-Add the meat drippings from the bottom of your roasting pan to the skillet and whisk until it's smooth and thoroughly incorporated. That’s it. You’re done.
Tips:
If your gravy looks either like library paste or it’s gritty (and you have no more drippings), add some water and whisk it in until it looks smooth and thick, but not so thick that it won’t pour easily. Of course, the nice thing is that you get to decide how thick you want your gravy.
Bon Appétit -and from all of us at JK Adams, we wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Author Note: Nancy Carey Johnson is a singer/songwriter and the award- winning author of Life is Good: Wit & Wisdom From A Vermont Homesteader and The Vermont Homesteader's Christmas Memories: Wit, Wisdom & Holiday Recipes. She lives in Poultney, Vermont with her three dogs, four cats and a flock of clucking Chickens, she is also the mother of four grown sons. In her spare time, she loves to garden and bake.
PIN IT
SHARE
POST
