Making homemade gravy is an important kitchen skill for any home cook. You can easily and quickly whip up a homemade gravy to accompany any meal. Make gravy for mashed potatoes, turkey, and pot roast or whip up some simple sausage gravy to serve over biscuits or toast. Traditional gravy starts with a roux. A roux is a 1:2 mixture of fat to all-purpose flour. The fat used in gravy making is usually butter, although other fats like oils, margarine, and even bacon fat can also be used. The fat is melted and combined over heat and cooked briefly. Next, a liquid is slowly added and brought to a simmer. This liquid can be pan drippings from a roast, canned broth or stock, or even milk. The roux will cause the liquid to thicken, creating gravy.
How do I make gravy using pan drippings? Pan drippings are a flavorful option for making a homemade gravy from scratch. In order to use the pan drippings you’ll need to carefully remove them from the hot pan and strain off any fat or gristle. The easiest way to do this is to pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer into measuring cup so you can easily see how much dripping liquid you have. VARIATION: You can also thicken your pan drippings using a cornstarch slurry directly into the pan rather than using the traditional gravy making method. This works well when there are a lot of pan drippings from a roast and the gravy is made while the pan drippings are still very hot, straight from the oven. Skim off any fat or gristle, then spoon out 1/4 cup of the pan drippings into a small bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (for approximately 2 cups of drippings), and then pour this slurry back into the pan. Whisk well until gravy thickens. How do I make gluten-free gravy? A traditional gravy is made using a 1:2 ratio of fat to flour. You can make your gravy gluten free by replacing all-purpose flour with cornstarch. Cornstarch is a more powerful thickening agent so only half of the amount is needed. For example, in a recipe calling for 1/4 cup of flour, you’d replace it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. How do I make gravy with milk? Milk is used to make creamy gravies like sausage gravy or chocolate gravy. You can also add milk to any meat based gravy for a creamy variation. Simply replace or or part of the liquid called for in the gravy recipe with milk.
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes. VARIATION: You can also thicken your pan drippings using a cornstarch slurry directly into the pan rather than using the traditional gravy making method. This works well when there are a lot of pan drippings from a roast and the gravy is made while the pan drippings are still very hot, straight from the oven. Skim off any fat or gristle, then spoon out 1/4 cup of the pan drippings into a small bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (for approximately 2 cups of drippings), and then pour this slurry back into the pan. Whisk well until gravy thickens. Δ Δ
