The thickener in this recipe is the beloved and traditional French Roux. The method highlighted in this gravy recipe is the very same professional technique that is the standard in almost all gourmet sauces and soups. Learn how to create amazingly smooth and durable sauces that will showcase your knowledge and mastery in the kitchen.
Printable recipe available at the bottom of this page.
Gravy is a thickened sauce made with pan drippings from roasting a peice of meat, it can also be made from stock or broth without pan drippings.
How to Bring Ordinary Gravy Based Recipes From Good to
Fantastic!
Meat recipes smothered in delicious soupy gravies, if done correctly, all begin with the humble little French roux. This, easy to learn, technique can transform a good (but ordinary) recipe into an amazing meat dish smothered in 'ooo la la' fabulous sauces, not to mention that this technique is the base for creating creamy soups that taste and feel deliciously complicated, French and way more gourmet.
The technique highlighted in this gravy recipe is the very same professional technique that is the standard in many sauce recipes, such as the Saucy Tarrogon Chicken, pictured. These sauces, smooth and amazing, begin as easy and humble soups and gravies that are catapulted into exciting, new gourmet soups and sauces simply by introducing more adventurous liquids, creams, and spices, taking the common French roux, into an entirely new and direction.
Why a French roux, why not just dump in some ole-fashioned flour and water drizzle?
Not only is the French roux way more delicious, because it cooks the flour, transforming it into a fragrantly new version of itself, but the roux technique actually fries the flour in a way that lifts its common taste into a flavor-bouquet that cannot be obtained through any other cooking technique.
A well-done roux creates strength. Other sauces, soups, and gravies will invariably and quickly fall apart, separating into liquid and solids. The roux, however, will not fall apart, breaking up into its elements. The humble roux has amazing staying power that will maintain the complexity of your wonderful meal, until the very last morsel is devoured.
Easy & Perfect Gravy Everytime
Ingredients:
◦ 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
◦ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
◦ 2 cups liquid either beef, chicken, or vegetable stock
Optional Ingredients:
◦ Pepper, to taste
◦ Salt, to avoid over salting, do not add until the gravy is finished
◦ Garlic and/or onion powders
◦ Thyme, parsley and/or other spices, as desired
◦ ½ teaspoon ground unprepared mustard
◦ 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, yellow or brown
Method:
Please read and understand the direction listed below before beginning this recipe.
Over medium to high heat, melt butter. Tip: Also adding a few teaspoons of olive oil to the butter protects the butter from burning.
Add flour to the melted butter. Usually the correct ratio of butter to flour is the same amount of each.
Stir roux continuously until it grandually becomes a light to medium caramel color and takes on a delicious nutty aroma.
Turn the heat completely off and carefully pour the liquid over the roux mixture. Making sure to pour ALL THE LIQUID AT THE SAME TIME WHILE CONTINUOUSLY STIRRING VIGOROUSLY.
Immediately when the liquid touches the roux, the roux will respond by fluffing up. If the fluffed up roux receives enough liquid and is being vigorously stirred, it will immediately become a wonderful soft mixture. If the roux does not receive enough liquid as it passes through this fluffy stage, the roux will respond by becoming lumpy. Once these lumps form it takes several minutes of vigorous stirring to elemenate them and it may not be possible to eleminate all the lumps. The short answer is to pour all the liquid into the roux at the same time and stir vigorously for approximately 10 seconds while the mixture become a thin gravy.
Turn the heat back on and continue to stir the thin gravy mixture.
At this point in the process it is time to add any spices or flavors, or perhaps even PRECOOKED mushrooms or potatoes, or other cooked vegetables, as desired.
This, however, is NOT the time to add any type of dairy products. The time to add anything dairy will be once the gravy has thickened and is finished cooking.
This is also NOT the time to add any UNCOOKED mushrooms. Mushrooms should be cooked separately, either with the roasting meats, (if the recipe calls for roasting meats) or alone, as the abundance of liquid that mushrooms release while cooking, would off-set the ratios in the gravy, creating a gravy that is far too thin. (However, if the recipe that is being prepared is a mushroom soup, adding the mushrooms during the gravy thickening process, would create a mushroom soup.)
While continuing to stir, the gravy mixture will slowly thicken and become smooth and creamy. Once the gravy is thick and creamy, this is the time to add any dairy.
For a creamy, saucy chicken, this is the time to add the sour cream or heavy whipping cream, according to the recipe being followed.
For a soup, this is the time to thin the gravy out, as desired, depending on the type of soup being prepared.
