any
will say that the mark of a good cook is her gravy. Well, that may not
be true because I know many good cooks who choose those little gravy
packets or gravy in a jar rather than taking a few minutes to mix up a
fresh homemade gravy. Here are the simple steps. It will take me longer
to type this out than to run to the kitchen and make gravy, so, let's
get started.
You will need
You may want the turkey giblets if you are making giblet gravy. You may also want to plan ahead and make your own turkey broth by simmering the neck, a small onion,and the giblets in 2-3 quarts of water on the back of the stove. Bring the pot to a boil, cover and reduce the heat. I usually put this together right after I put the bird in the oven and just let it simmer while the bird cooks. Honestly, I have even forgotten it on occasion and my kids would remind me to get the pot and make their gravy.
After you remove the bird from the oven, scrape the drippings from the roaster into a skillet. You can also put the roaster directly on the burner, if you are comfortable doing this. You may need to skim off any excess fat, but I have noticed over the years that there is not usually enough to worry about and a couple of teaspoons of fat helps make the flavor richer.
Mix the cornstarch into the 1/4 cup water, stir to dissolve. You will get a sort of paste. You can increase or decrease the amount of liquid but follow the 1 teaspoon cornstarch to 1 cup liquid rule. For example, if you have 3 cups of broth, you would need 1/4 cup of water with 3 teaspoons of corn starch dissolved in it.
Pour the broth into the roaster or skillet stirring to mix. If using the roaster directly, you will be able to get off all the flavorful bits baked onto the bottom and an added bonus is easier cleanup.
Bring your broth and drippings to a soft boil over medium heat. If you used homemade turkey broth, it is already hot so it will not take more than a minute or two. When the liquids begin to boil, stir in the cornstarch mixture with a fork or wire whisk. Stir continuously until the mixture returns to a full boil. Remove from heat. Stir in the chopped up giblets of a little of the turkey meat if you wish to make a giblet version. I usually will slit the gravy into two containers, one with giblets and one without. Let stand a minute or two.
Salt and pepper to taste. You should now take a little piece of bread or a little of your great stuffing and, dip it into the gravy. Taste your wonderful hearty healthy homemade gravy. After all, you have done all this work, you have earned the right to the first taste.
Pour the gravy into a gravy boat or small bowl and don't forget to include a spoon or small gravy ladle so your family can easily help themselves. If you have never made gravy before, you should have no problem following these simple directions. If you have used those packets before, you can probably do this in your sleep. And in spite of the easy method, you end up with a delicious, healthier version of something your family loves.
BONUS: This is a standard gravy recipe. You can use it to make almost any type of gravy. Try substituting different liquids. Milk for a white gravy perfect for sausage and gravy to pour over biscuits, beef broth and drippings for a hearty brown gravy that is perfect on potatoes, of chicken broth for a lighter chicken gravy. You can also make a fruit sauce to pour over fresh fruit by substituting your favorite fruit juice. My husband loves pineapple sauce which is simply a fruit gravy.
Gravy is a simple addition you can bring to any meal that will give you the taste and feel of down home cooking. Your family will soon be asking you to make your famous gravy.
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 cups Turkey or chicken broth
- Turkey drippings
- 3 teaspoons Corn Starch
- Salt and Pepper to taste
You may want the turkey giblets if you are making giblet gravy. You may also want to plan ahead and make your own turkey broth by simmering the neck, a small onion,and the giblets in 2-3 quarts of water on the back of the stove. Bring the pot to a boil, cover and reduce the heat. I usually put this together right after I put the bird in the oven and just let it simmer while the bird cooks. Honestly, I have even forgotten it on occasion and my kids would remind me to get the pot and make their gravy.
After you remove the bird from the oven, scrape the drippings from the roaster into a skillet. You can also put the roaster directly on the burner, if you are comfortable doing this. You may need to skim off any excess fat, but I have noticed over the years that there is not usually enough to worry about and a couple of teaspoons of fat helps make the flavor richer.
Mix the cornstarch into the 1/4 cup water, stir to dissolve. You will get a sort of paste. You can increase or decrease the amount of liquid but follow the 1 teaspoon cornstarch to 1 cup liquid rule. For example, if you have 3 cups of broth, you would need 1/4 cup of water with 3 teaspoons of corn starch dissolved in it.
Pour the broth into the roaster or skillet stirring to mix. If using the roaster directly, you will be able to get off all the flavorful bits baked onto the bottom and an added bonus is easier cleanup.
Bring your broth and drippings to a soft boil over medium heat. If you used homemade turkey broth, it is already hot so it will not take more than a minute or two. When the liquids begin to boil, stir in the cornstarch mixture with a fork or wire whisk. Stir continuously until the mixture returns to a full boil. Remove from heat. Stir in the chopped up giblets of a little of the turkey meat if you wish to make a giblet version. I usually will slit the gravy into two containers, one with giblets and one without. Let stand a minute or two.
Salt and pepper to taste. You should now take a little piece of bread or a little of your great stuffing and, dip it into the gravy. Taste your wonderful hearty healthy homemade gravy. After all, you have done all this work, you have earned the right to the first taste.
Pour the gravy into a gravy boat or small bowl and don't forget to include a spoon or small gravy ladle so your family can easily help themselves. If you have never made gravy before, you should have no problem following these simple directions. If you have used those packets before, you can probably do this in your sleep. And in spite of the easy method, you end up with a delicious, healthier version of something your family loves.
BONUS: This is a standard gravy recipe. You can use it to make almost any type of gravy. Try substituting different liquids. Milk for a white gravy perfect for sausage and gravy to pour over biscuits, beef broth and drippings for a hearty brown gravy that is perfect on potatoes, of chicken broth for a lighter chicken gravy. You can also make a fruit sauce to pour over fresh fruit by substituting your favorite fruit juice. My husband loves pineapple sauce which is simply a fruit gravy.
Gravy is a simple addition you can bring to any meal that will give you the taste and feel of down home cooking. Your family will soon be asking you to make your famous gravy.
I am Barbara Cagle and I have been working and playing online
since 1989. I am a certified teacher and as such I find that people are
constantly asking me how to do ____. I started CagleOnline in 2001 and
it has evolved into a portal for my many interests.
At [http://www.caglecooksonline.com] you can download free cookbooks and find great recipes. At http://www.cagleonline.com you can access information on a variety of subjects, find free products and resources, and get help for your business or just to make your life just a little bit easier. Check it out and don't miss the Master Site Index with links to all my online content. So, head on over and see how I can help YOU today?
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At [http://www.caglecooksonline.com] you can download free cookbooks and find great recipes. At http://www.cagleonline.com you can access information on a variety of subjects, find free products and resources, and get help for your business or just to make your life just a little bit easier. Check it out and don't miss the Master Site Index with links to all my online content. So, head on over and see how I can help YOU today?
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