#260_Different Ways to Make Gravy

Gravy over mashed potatoes is like "icing on a cake". Without gravy, the mashed potatoes would taste bland. It is therefore important to have good gravy to totally enjoy your mashed potatoes. For those who are intimidated to make gravy, or making gravy the first time, I'm posting a number of simple ways and ideas to prepare them. Usually, recipes for gravy starts with "first make a roux". I made the procedures as simple as possible by eliminating making a roux for beginners' sake. Some people might think this is not a good idea, but hey, these gravies taste as good as the kind made with roux, believe me.

Restaurant-style white gravy
made with the
Universal Sauce and Chicken Bouillon.

Universal sauce is a powder mix for making gravies and sauces.

Option 1:
3 tablespoons Universal Sauce Mix
1/2 teaspoon bouillon powder
1 cup cold water

Here's an easy option for making a gravy without using any drippings that is as good as the kind served at some fancy restaurants. It is very simple and super, super easy to make. Just mix the Universal Sauce Mix and the Chicken Bouillon powder in a sauce pan, dissolve in a cup of cold water then cook over medium high heat stirring until it is smooth and thickened. Season with freshly cracked black pepper. Serve warm over hot mashed potatoes (or biscuits). This gravy taste so good, your family will think you ordered it from a famous and expensive restaurant.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!!

Option 2:
1 cup cold water
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon chicken Bouillon
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
freshly cracked black pepper

If you don't have the Universal Sauce mix, you can just use a bouillon powder and flour. Combine flour, bouillon powder, ground sage and poultry seasoning in a sauce pan. Whisk in cold water until flour is dissolved; cook over medium high heat stirring constantly until smooth and thickened. Season with freshly cracked black pepper. Serve over hot mashed potatoes.

Note:
1) you can definitely use bouillon cube, just dissolve it in very hot water then combine with the dissolved flour. Please remember that flour won't dissolve in hot liquid.

Gobble, Gobble!!!

Option 3: if all else fails....

1 can Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can chicken broth
will do the trick.

If you don't have bouillon cube or powder, open a can cream of chicken soup; pour it in a bowl and stir in a can of broth. Heat it up in microwave (or on the stove). Season with freshly- cracked black pepper. Serve over hot mashed potatoes.

x x x x x x x x x x x

Here's a recipe for
MaMely's Home Made Turkey Gravy
This gravy might require more work than the 3 options above, but
it is worth all your efforts because this gravy is so impressive
even without using the roux that your family and guest will declare you
the "gravy queen" at the dinner table. Go for the crown ladies!

(These measurements are all approximates)
5 cups turkey broth
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2-3 ribs celery, coarsely sliced
2 tsp salt
turkey drippings
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cold water
1 tsp Season All or any brand of seasoned salt
1 tsp garlic powder
Freshly milled black pepper

First, make broth:
Put the turkey giblets, heart and neck in a large pot. Cover with about 5 cups of cold water and bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming off the fat or foam. When there are no more of the gunks floating, put in the onion and celery, and about 2 tsp salt. Turn down heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for about an hour. Discard the meat and veggies and put the broth thru a sieve to get a clear broth.

Put back the clear broth into the pot and whisk in some turkey drippings, Season All or seasoned salt and garlic powder, then continue to simmer for about 30 minutes; turn the heat up to medium high and bring the broth to rolling boil. Dissolve about 1/3 cup flour in a half a cup of cold water. Slowly pour this mixture into the boiling broth, stirring vigorously (wire whisk is best) until the gravy is smooth and thickened or a desired consistency is reached. Sprinkle some freshly cracked black pepper.

Take the pan off the stove, but keep the gravy warm in a gravy warmer, until ready to serve.

Optional: take the discarded celery and onions and the liver and processed in a food processor, (or use blender) then combine it with the simmering gravy. Now you have some delicious home made gravy that your family will be thankful for.

For Mashed Potato recipe #43 click here.

Notes from MaMely:
1) Take out the liver after 20 minutes of simmering.
2) If gravy is thick, thin it out by adding more broth.
3) If you want to try making the roux, (pronounced "roo") here's how to make it:
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a pan, then add about 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour. Using a wire whisk, whisk constantly until there are no more lumps and the mixture is thickened and color is like peanut butter. Be patient though because this processes takes a while, and be careful not to burn this mixture otherwise your gravy will taste bitter. If you have some drippings, use it instead of butter. Now you have the roux.
To the roux, while stirring, gradually add hot broth, turkey drippings, ground sage, Season All and the ground (or blended) celery and onions; continue to simmer until desired consistency is reached. Sprinkle some freshly cracked black pepper.
Not too bad after all!