When you've got a fluffy bowl of mashed potatoes, rich, velvety gravy is the final crowning touch. But too often, we endure greasy, gritty, lumpy and frumpy versions.
The gravy-shy worry that in order to get it right, they've got to decipher mysterious terms like "giblets," "roux," "deglaze" and "Kitchen Bouquet." But when Thanksgiving rolls around, gravy is still part of the command performance expected of cooks.
You can't get away with passing around a tub of sour cream or pats of butter.
To get the scoop — or the ladle — on good gravy, we talked to chefs and good home cooks. We scoured some classic cookbooks to see how real gravy was made before the little packets of mix came along, ruling out the ones that started with directions for killing and plucking the turkey as too historic.
We found out that some of the "rules" that cause gravy anxiety are actually myths. For instance, good gravy doesn't have to be completely homemade. Many well-known cooks succumb to convenience.
"When I cook a turkey, I make my own gravy, but for everyday, I just use a mix," confesses Arlene Honomichl of Provo, known for her hostess and cooking skills. "Now that there's just the two of us to cook for, it's not worth it."
"My only tip is to always have Kitchen Bouquet in the cabinet!" said Ruth Kendrick of Uintah, winner of several national cooking contests. (Kitchen Bouquet is a coloring and flavoring agent).
Another myth: Good gravy doesn't have to be high-fat. By using a flavorful stock, pureed vegetables for thickening or evaporated milk instead of cream, you can cut the calories and keep the nutrition police happy.
You can relax over a few lumps, too, says Dave Jones, chef of Log Haven, who will teach a Thanksgiving cooking class on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the restaurant and a demonstration from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Friday at SuperTarget, 7025 S. Park Center Drive.
"It's not the end of the world to have a lump in the gravy," Jones said. "In a sauce, yes. But my thought is, most gravies are more of rustic, homestyle sauces."
Concern over lumps can lead to worse problems, said Gloria Gibbs of Layton.
"When I was a young bride, we were having company for dinner so I made a beef roast and a regular gravy, like Grandma used to make, with the drippings, water and flour," she said. "Well, it turned out lumpy, so I decided to strain it through a colander.
"So-o-o-o, I did strain it, right into the sink instead of a bowl! I was so close to tears. My husband ran to the store and bought gravy mix. In those days, those mixes were pretty awful. But I guess I made up for it with the creamy mashed potatoes and apple pie!"
Since that mishap, Gibbs always uses cornstarch instead of flour as a thickener: "It's much easier and NO lumps!"
Here's some terminology of Gravy 101:
GIBLETS (JIB-lets): That's what's in those paper wads tucked inside your turkey. (They're stuffed in the neck cavity as well, so be sure to take them out before roasting). They're the gizzard, the heart, the liver and the neck, and they are often used to flavor the gravy. Most recipes say to simmer them in water or stock about 30 minutes, then use the stock. Some recipes also have you chop up the giblets to add to the gravy.
ROUX (ROO): This is a mixture of flour and fat that's cooked together and used to thicken the gravy. The longer you cook it, the darker the roux. The darker the roux, the darker the gravy. The November/December 2000 issue of Cook's Illustrated favors using a dark roux instead of gravy that's thickened with cornstarch.
DEGLAZE: After you've cooked a poultry or meat, scrape all the leftover browned bits from the roasting pan or skillet by adding liquid and heat. The liquid is used in the gravy.
DRIPPINGS: These are the melted fat and juices collected in the pan of meat or poultry as it cooks. In the "Fannie Farmer Cookbook," author Marion Cunningham says the drippings are one of the key factors in making a lovely deep-brown gravy. But don't overdo it, Jones warns. "When people make gravy only from pan drippings, sometimes it comes out tasting more like grease than anything else," she cautions.
STOCK: Broth used to make gravy. Jones suggests using more stock and less drippings in the gravy to avoid the greasy taste. For richer flavor, "reduce" the stock by half (cook it so it condenses). Jones likes to debone the turkey a day ahead and roast the bones, then use them to make stock. If this sounds like a lot of effort for the time-pressed, you can use the boxed Swanson turkey broth with good results — "At home, I rely on that stuff," Jones added.
GRAVY RECIPES — All gravies are not created equal. Here are versions that use different ingredients and techniques. Take your pick:
BASIC CHICKEN OR TURKEY GRAVY
This recipe, from the "Fannie Farmer Cookbook," gives a traditional gravy of childhood memories.
4 tablespoons fat from poultry pan drippings
3 tablespoons flour
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 cups liquid: stock, Giblet Broth, water or milk
When the bird has been removed from the roasting pan, skim off all but 4 tablespoons of fat in the pan. If there is not enough fat in the drippings, add butter. Place the pan over a burner and heat it, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen all the browned bits. Stir in the flour and blend well over medium heat for 3 minutes or more, until lightly browned. Add salt and pepper to taste, and slowly pour in the liquid, stirring constantly, until smooth. Simmer 10 minutes to develop the flavor.
GIBLET BROTH
Giblets
1 teaspoon thyme, crumbled
1 thick slice onion
1 stalk celery with leaves, sliced
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Butter (optional)
Rinse giblets (except for liver) and put in a saucepan. Cover with cold water and add thyme, onion, celery and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer 45 minutes, or until the gizzard is tender. Meanwhile, cook the liver under the roasting bird 5 to 10 minutes or saute lightly in some butter. Strain the giblets, reserve the broth, and use Basic Chicken or Turkey Gravy.
RICH TURKEY GRAVY
This recipe, from the American Institute for Cancer Research, uses pureed vegetables as a thickener. The vegetables add flavor and contain phytochemicals — substances with cancer-fighting properties.
Turkey Broth:
2 pounds turkey parts, including neck, wings, thighs and giblets
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
1 celery stalk, halved crosswise
1 medium leek, chopped
1 large onion, quartered
1 small parsnip, peeled and sliced
3 to 4 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley
2 large garlic cloves
Gravy:
2 cups turkey broth
1 tablespoon turkey fat (from making broth)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the broth, combine turkey parts, carrot, celery, leek, onion, parsnip, parsley and garlic in a large pot. Add 12 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for 2 hours. During the first 30 minutes, skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
Strain broth into a bowl. Reserve carrot, onion, parsnip and garlic. Discard other vegetables and turkey. Cool broth to room temperature. Refrigerate, overnight if necessary, until fat congeals. Lift off fat and reserve it in a small bowl.
Puree reserved carrot, onion, parsnip and garlic in blender, along with 1/2 cup of turkey broth. Blend in remaining broth. Heat the tablespoon of turkey fat in a saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, mix in flour, which will gather into a soft ball with the fat. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture is fluffy and looks moist, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup broth/puree until mixture is smooth. Add remaining puree. Bring gravy to a boil, then immediately remove from heat. Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste. Pour gravy into a gravy boat.
Makes 2 3/4 cups or 11 1/4-cup servings. Each 1/4-cup serving contains 43 calories and 1 gram of fat.
HONEY CURED BACON GRAVY
Log Haven chef Dave Jones' recipe gets added flavor from bacon.
1/4 cup of butter
2 small onions, finely diced
4 to 5 stalks of celery, finely diced
6 to 8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 leek (white only, sliced thin)
1 cup of white wine (optional)
1 quart of turkey stock reduced down to 1 pint
1/4 to 1/3 pounds honey bacon, sliced thin and cooked
1/4 to 1/3 pound honey-cured bacon, reserve the fat for a roux (see footnote on roux)
4 sprigs of thyme, chopped
2 sprigs of oregano, chopped
4 to 6 sage leaves, chopped
1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
1/8 cup of chives, cut thin
1 dash of Dijon mustard
Thickener: either cornstarch, arrow root powder or roux (see note below)
1/2 cup of cream or half-and-half cream
Salt and pepper to taste
In a 2-quart pan, saute with vegetables in butter. Saute 4 to 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with white wine. Cook down for a couple of minutes and then add the turkey stock. Bring the stock to a simmer and add in the remaining ingredients, except for the thickener, cream and salt and pepper. For a smooth gravy, puree the mixture at this point. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, at which point you will want to thicken stock/sauce and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
For a low-fat gravy, thicken it with a cornstarch slurry or arrow root. For higher-fat, use a roux.
Cornstarch Slurry: Mix together 1/3 cup cornstarch to 1 cup cold water. Whisk in the cornstarch. Whisk into the stock mixture.
Arrowroot:This is a powder that is stirred directly into gravy or sauce. Pour as needed until desired consistency is reached.
Roux: The bacon fat mixed with flour at equal ratio. Cook until roux becomes blonde (if you undercook, the gravy has a pasty flavor). Then add to stock mixture. Finish the gravy with half and half or cream and salt and pepper.
FAT-FREE GRAVY
Enjoy a guiltless second helping with this recipe from Pauline Ingolls, a Utah State University extension agent for Salt Lake County.
1 3/4 cup chicken broth (or 2 cubes chicken bouillon and 1 3/4 cup water)
2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water
Seasonings as desired (sage, pepper, etc.)
Place chicken broth in a medium saucepan. Add cornstarch mixture to broth, whisking to keep mixture from clumping. (Always mix the cornstarch with cold water first; if added directly to hot liquid, the cornstarch will clump.) Cook and stir mixture over medium heat until thick. Season to taste.
Tools of the trade can help make good gravy even better. Look for them in cookware shops.
— A flat wire whisk helps you smooth out the lumps without splashes and splatters.
— Guests will enjoy pouring from a good-looking gravy boat.
— A gravy separator is a contraption that gets rid of the grease without sacrificing the flavorful broth. Pour your pan drippings in the cup and the grease will float to the top.
— A thermal gravy boat keeps your gravy warm while you're waiting for everyone to get up to the table.
E-MAIL: vphillips@desnews.com