Making Proper Gravy

How to Make Gravy Like Momma

Southern Kitchen Classics: Gravy Making

Many essential things come upwards from the kitchens of our parents in addition to grandparents. Many are of life's lessons, a few near cooking in addition to a few amongst recipes. This ane is near cooking.

To our ancestors, making a sauce or gravy was non scientific discipline but today, nosotros know it is simply that. Both sauce in addition to gravy consists of thickening agents combined amongst a aqueous mixture to increment its viscosity without substantially modifying its other properties, such equally taste. To produce thence properly provides body, increases stability, in addition to improves suspension of added ingredients. Thickening agents include: polysaccharides (starches, vegetable gums, in addition to pectin), proteins (eggs, collagen, gelatin, blood albumin) in addition to fats (butter, fossil oil in addition to lards). All usage flour is the most pop nutrient thickener, followed yesteryear cornstarch, arrowroot, spud or tapioca. All of these thickeners are based on starch equally the thickening agent. But dissimilar the terminal iv agents, alone all usage flour is widely used inwards making gravy equally the cornstarch (which is truly a flour too) in addition to origin crops yields clear, translucent gravies in addition to volition non brownish equally inwards making a roux. source

Now inwards the southward in addition to I hateful deep south, the damage gravy in addition to sauce are the same. In fact, sauce is rarely usage inwards many parts in addition to equally I retrieve from my youth, 'gravy is spooned from the pan in addition to sauce is served at the table'. Here, I usage gravy equally a compatible word.

There are many ways to brand gravy using flour. Three of the basics are:

• using a slurry which is flour in addition to mutual frigidity liquid combined in addition to whisked into a base of operations liquid earlier raising the temperature needed to thicken the sauce. Using this method does allow yous to skip the add-on of fat.

• by making a glue of flour in addition to fatty (Beurre Manié) in addition to whisking it into a heated base of operations liquid to thicken

• and the best is yesteryear making a roux of flour in addition to fatty ... period

By using the start 2 methods to brand a gravy, the sauce volition non hold stability in addition to both require a long fourth dimension to develop out the raw flour taste. By starting amongst a roux, which is generally equal role flour in addition to a fat, yous develop to suspension downward the flour in addition to rid that raw sense of savour earlier adding the base of operations liquid.

Now, the best pan to usage for a gravy is of course of pedagogy a saucier, but a rounded bottom skillet volition produce nicely too. And, if yous are making nighttime roux, yous wishing to brand certain your saucier, pot or skillet is a heavy, 3-ply or cast atomic position out 26 vessel. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 expert whisk amongst many tines along amongst a apartment bottom spatula are the basic tools inwards making roux for gravy.

So what is the best ratio of ingredients: According to Alton Brown, 1 loving cup liquid amongst 1 ounce flour in addition to 1 ounce fatty yesteryear weight is the trick. source  So if yous postulate three cups of gravy, increment all yesteryear 3. Momma did non weigh out her ingredients, nor produce I. Like her, I produce the tablespoon method in addition to it goes similar this: for every 1 loving cup of liquid, brand a roux using 2 tablespoons of fatty amongst 2 tablespoons of all usage flour.

Now, let's teach to making gravy. Melt the fatty (lard, fossil oil or butter) over medium rut in addition to when melted hot, whisk inwards the flour all at once. Whisk expert for 2 minutes which the roux should start to sparse out or spread a lilliputian on its own. At this point, plow downward the rut to depression in addition to operate on whisking. It is hither where the aeroplane of thickening might is achieved in addition to it is hither where depending on how long yous stir in addition to develop it determines the color in addition to flavor.

A dominion for type of roux, thickening might in addition to cooking fourth dimension on depression rut goes something similar this:

White - 1 role roux - cooks near v minutes

Blond - 2 parts roux- near xx minutes of stirring

Tan Chocolate - three parts roux - innovation on upwards to a expert hour

Dark Creole Brick Red - 4 parts roux - takes upwards to 2 hours

You see, the lighter the roux, the to a greater extent than thickening might it volition receive got in addition to likewise, the darker it is the less, important the to a greater extent than yous volition postulate to thicken the same total of liquid.

I receive got ever followed Momma's agency introducing the roux to the liquid base of operations of both ingredients beingness hot or at to the lowest degree the liquid beingness on the warm side in addition to the roux cooled downward a fleck yesteryear removing off-heat or caramelizing vegetables earlier the liquid's melding. Chef Brown's axiom is that the roux should live on room temperature in addition to the liquid base of operations hot. I lift this alone because I receive got much organized faith inwards Sir Alton. But momma's agency has never allow me down. Either way, tardily whisk inwards near 1/3 of liquid into the roux over high rut forming a paste. This volition ensure a smooth, binding gravy. When thickened, add together unopen to other 1/3 of liquid in addition to whisk until smooth. By using the roux method, the gravy volition thicken quickly, at near 150 degrees F. or near the fourth dimension yous start start to meet bubbling activeness breaking the surface. Add to a greater extent than liquid, tablespoons at a fourth dimension until desired consistency. At this time, your gravy is ready.

Note that gravy made amongst a flour roux volition also cool downward quicker than tell ane made the Beurre manié method. Therefore, it is necessary to sparse a roux base of operations gravy downward a tad to a greater extent than than yous would think knowing it thickens equally it cools specially if serving at the table.

As I lift inwards our identify unit of measurement cookbook, Grits to Guacamole, Momma had a flair of making diverse sauces in addition to would stand upwards over the stove in addition to thence cunningly usage that same project intensive sauce over heated vegetables from the freezer. Some of her best sauces or gravies come upwards from a roux base of operations including these:

Béchamel / Creole Creamed Eggs

Béchamel - a white milk gravy made amongst all usage flour in addition to butter

Mornay - taking the white gravy in addition to adding cayenne along amongst Gruyere in addition to Parmesan

Alfredo / Creamy Chicken Alfredo

Alfredo - the white roux gravy adding garlic, Parmesan in addition to a pinch of nutmeg

Soubise - classic Béchamel amongst the add-on of shallots or onion

Velouté / Sweet Onion Apple Pear Gravy

Velouté - a meat flavored sauce using a butter in addition to flour roux along amongst a base of operations liquid of chicken, fish or veal stock

Paprika - a Velouté amongst the add-on of onion, added butter, paprika in addition to heavy cream

Cheese / Baked Macaroni in addition to Pimento Cheese

Classic Cheese for Mac - the Béchamel blended amongst cheddar cheese is perfect for vegetables too

Saw Mill / Fried Chicken Fillets

Saw Mill Gravy - the white milk gravy heavily seasoned amongst dark pepper, sometimes amongst bits of browned the world solid soil sausage

Red Eye Gravy - flour roux amongst solid soil ham drippings in addition to coffee

Tomato Gravy / Creole Daube

Creole Tomato Gravy - a seasoned roux gravy amongst the add-on of diced tomatoes

Brown Gravy / Momma's Meatloaf

Brown Gravy - pan drippings from cooked meat stirred into a darkened flour based roux