 Ten Tips on Gravy
1. In order to produce a flavorful gravy you must
begin with a flavorful stock or broth. Using a weak
broth will result in a weak gravy. I always fortify my
broth with base. Add two tablespoons of base to two cups
of water, dissolve and add it to the bottom of the pan
at the beginning of the roasting process.
2. You need to follow a recipe. Never guess at
"how much flour" you will need. There is a
standard ratio of flour to liquid and you need to know
it.
3. You need to begin with a roux: a mixture of flour
and fat that after slowly cooked over low heat, is used
to thicken soups and sauces.
4. Always use a stainless steel sauce pan. Although
it is a poor conductor of heat and you have to be
careful of scorching, aluminum pans react chemically
with many foods and often with sauces that require long
periods of cooking.
5. Set up your mise en place (everything you will
need) on a small tray and include all the utensils,
including several tasting spoons.
6. Your prepared broth should be cooled before adding
it to your roux. Starch granules in flour absorb water
and swell to many times their original size. They need
to be separated before heating or you will have lumps.
You prevent this by first mixing the starch with the
fat, begin the cooking process and then add the cold
liquid.
7. Many cooks will use the fat from the roast's
juices as the fat base for their rouxs, but I like
following a standardized recipe for making gravy so I
always use vegetable oil. I even use the same brand all
the time, as I like to know my ingredients.
8. After you have successfully made your roux and
have added the broth, over medium heat you will bring
the gravy to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer it
for at least 20 minutes in order to cook the roux (the
flour) out.
9. Always strain your gravy through a fine sieve or
chinois. Hopefully if you have applied my tips to your
gravy making skills successfully and you will not have
lumps when you have reached this point of the process.
Straining the sauce through a chinois air rates and
gives it a smooth and silkier texture. It
"tops" it off.
10. Taste your sauce frequently as it simmers, and
enjoy the developing process.
11. (An afterthought) Pray for patience and proceed
to:
My Recipe For Making Gravy
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