This holiday season, Food & Wine is going over the top with our series "Give Thanks, But Make It Extra"—a celebration of all things opulent, glittering, rich, delicious, and joyful.
I'm all for family traditions, but sometimes a treasured food from childhood accrues so much nostalgia and mystique that it acquires the status of myth, and becomes impossible to recreate in adulthood. For me, that's what happened with my grandmother's turkey gravy.
I grew up in North Carolina, where every year we'd spend Thanksgiving at my aunt's house. The day would dawn with the adults nursing mugs of strong, black "cowboy" coffee as my grandfather, still in his nightgown, fussed over the turkey: a 20-odd-pound Butterball in a battered aluminum roasting pan. Hours later, my grandmother would set that pan, now holding glorious turkey drippings, over two electric eyes of the stove. She slowly stirred flour into the drippings with a wooden spoon to make a loose roux while my uncle carved the turkey to her left.
...a sopping sauce for the Thanksgiving gods.
After adding warm broth and whole milk to the roux, my grandmother gathered shredded turkey from the cutting board (my uncle insisted on cutting with the grain with a dull knife, so there was always a pound or so of turkey left to work with) and stirred it into her gravy. She cooked it all down into a thick, silky concoction of sauce-enrobed meat that was almost a stew unto itself. And that was her gravy. It was legendary; a sopping sauce for the Thanksgiving gods. It was always the most extra thing on the table. Writing about it makes me want to make a batch right now to smother a bowl of white rice.
I was a professional cook and food magazine test kitchen pro for years and tried to recreate that gravy. Lord, I tried. But I was never able to replicate it.
Gravy, I learned, can smell fear at the stove.
Nearly a decade ago, I finally stopped trying so hard after making the biggest rookie mistake of all time and inviting both sets of in-laws to my Thanksgiving table at the Birmingham apartment I shared with my former wife. Gravy, I learned, can smell fear at the stove. This batch was doomed from the start when the liaison of starch and fat failed to become a smooth paste while cooking in the saucepan. Once I added turkey stock the liquified fat began separating and rose to the surface. I tried to skim it off while awkwardly playing family peacemaker with a 10-month old under foot, but that "gravy" hit the table in a boat with an oil slick pooling on top.
And that was the last time I tried to make gravy the way my grandmother did.
Now I make really good gravy that captures the essence of my grandmother's without any of the last-minute pressure of making it right before sitting down to dinner. It's still the most extra thing on the table, but without the time pressure.
Here are my principles for making great gravy without fear:
Make it ahead
This is the most important one. Don't wait for the drippings from the roasted bird and make gravy a la minute while your guests are lining up at the buffet with plates in hand. Make it at least one day ahead and then slowly reheat it in a saucepan over low heat just before serving.
Make a really good homemade turkey stock first
Don't skimp on this crucial first step. This stock will power your gravy and give it deep roasted turkey flavor.
Really Good Turkey Jus and Homemade Turkey Stock
Reinforce the stock's flavor
Turkey backs, necks, and wings all possess mighty flavor and collagen, which gives your stock more body. You'll find them in the supermarket in the weeks leading up to the feast. Draw out the roasted turkey flavors by browning the turkey parts over a bed of aromatic vegetables in a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, a pan low slung enough to aid in caramelization yet tall enough to capture the valuable juices that drip and concentrate on the bottom.
Deglaze the pan with wine
Adding wine to the hot roasting pan and scraping with a spatula helps you capture every last precious browned bit from the bottom of the pan. That's where the flavor is. The wine also lends acid for flavor.
Simmer, simmer, simmer
You want the turkey parts to begin to fall apart so they release all of their flavor.
Strain and cool
Press the solids into the strainer so that you push as much juice out of the turkey parts and aromatic vegetables as possible. Then refrigerate the strained stock overnight so you can easily spoon off the congealed fat on top. That fat is great for saving (I like to roast potatoes with it) but it will make the gravy too fatty later if you don't skim it now.
Reduce
What you're going for is a gelatinous brown stock. To achieve that, simmer the strained stock until it coats the back of the spoon.
Choose your fork in the road
You can season and serve that stock as jus, and even stir in a tiny bit of cornstarch slurry to thicken it, which will give you a pure and unadulterated—and looser—sauce than gravy. Or you can skip the corn starch step in my jus recipe and introduce the liquid gold to a roux, a thickening agent of equal parts of turkey fat, canola oil, or butter with the same volume of flour (in this case, a 1:1 ratio). Whisk and gently simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes and you'll have great gravy.
Hot liquids only
Whether you're making gravy or bechamel, adding cold liquid to a roux will encourage the starch and fat to separate. For best practices, ladle a ½ cup or so of hot stock or jus to the roux while whisking vigorously. Once the mixture looks smooth and hom*ogenous, then you can begin to whisk in the rest of your hot stock or milk.
Embellish
Feeling extra? A little flavor goes a long way, especially after you've loved on your turkey stock so much and coaxed out all the flavor from the roasted turkey parts. When I want another layer of flavor, I add a tablespoon or so of bourbon, madeira, calvados, brandy, or vermouth to my gravy from time to time. It's up to you if you want to cook the alcohol off first. Or sauteed minced mushrooms or sauteed giblets do nicely. Fresh thyme plays well, so you could swirl a sprig of thyme through the sauce for flavor if you don't want chopped flecks of herbs. Or you could level up and combine the best of the herbs, mushrooms, brandy, and cultured butter to make Mushroom-and-Herb Gravy with Apple Brandy. And shredded turkey pieces from the cutting board will, of course, make any gravy extra extra.(Note: I based this article on a turkey jus recipe I developed in 2020. You could also start with this turkey stock recipe or your own homemade stock. Whatever you do, make stock from scratch if you want really good gravy.)
Mushroom-and-Herb Gravy with Apple Brandy
FAQs
(The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.) You can add other flavors to the mixture, swap out the stock for another liquid, or use cornstarch rather than flour to thicken your gravy.
How much gravy per person? ›
Another gathering polarizing topic, gravy is something I always struggle with. It just doesn't taste as great leftover, so I never went to make too much gravy when I host. 1/3 cup should be plenty per person.
Who thought of gravy? ›
In the 1880s, southern Appalachia lumber factory workers invented a concoction called “sawmill gravy,” possibly after the sawdust that coated the factory floor. Workers made a basic gravy of pork, milk, and flour, readily available and cheap ingredients that made a filling meal.
What is gravy made of? ›
The fat and drippings are combined with flour to make a roux, and milk is typically used as the liquid to create the sauce, however cream is often added or may be the primary liquid. It is frequently seasoned with black pepper and complimenting herbs and bits of meat may be added such as sausage or diced chicken liver.
Is gravy healthy? ›
Most gravy is not healthy. Because of the roasted meat juice it is high in saturated fat and sodium, and with ingredients such as flour and butter it can have more calories than you expect. Gravy has little nutritional value, though by adding water that vegetables have been boiled in you can add some nutrients.
What does the phrase good gravy mean? ›
Interjection. good gravy. Used to express surprise or anger without a hint of profanity or blasphemy.
Why do you need fat in gravy? ›
Good gravy starts with fat. There's simply no way around it. You'll need a few tablespoons of a neutral fat (such as canola oil) to brown your aromatics. And, of course, you'll need pan drippings to build your gravy's flavor.
What is it called when you mix flour and water for gravy? ›
A slurry is generally made with liquid (often water or broth) mixed with either cornstarch or flour and added to a hot liquid to thicken it. Because a slurry is a concentrated starchy liquid it will thicken sauces and gravy.
Is it better to make gravy with cornstarch or flour? ›
Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.
What is the chemistry behind gravy? ›
Starch is essential for thickening gravy. Starch is a long chain of sugar molecules stuck together that form grains in our food. Starch grains absorb water and turn into a jelly type substance and makes water more viscous or makes gravy thicker.
Add an umami-rich condiment.
Just as you might add condiments like soy sauce, miso paste, Worcestershire sauce, or even a splash of sherry or cider vinegar to your favorite gravy recipe, incorporate them into store-bought gravy for a more complex flavor.
What is a good substitute for flour in gravy? ›
Cornstarch and potato starch are the best options for gravy. Avoid arrowroot and tapioca starches because they can get "stringy" and look artificial in gravy. Cornstarch gravy is more translucent than flour based sauces. Potato starch gravy is more opaque than cornstarch, but less opaque than flour.
How to make gravy thick? ›
If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.
What is gravy slang for? ›
slang. money or gain acquired with little effort, esp above that needed for ordinary living. slang. wonderful; excellent. it's all gravy.
What do Americans call gravy? ›
In the U.S. we also use the word gravy in reference to a sauce made from the juices of cooked meat thickened with flour or other starches. This is the first thing that comes to mind for many of use when we hear the word gravy. We make this from roast beef, chicken, turkey, etc.
Why do Americans eat biscuits and gravy? ›
History. The meal emerged as a distinct regional dish after the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), when stocks of foodstuffs were in short supply. Breakfast was necessarily the most substantial meal of the day for a person facing a day of work on the plantations in the American South.
Why do Americans call it gravy? ›
The argument for calling it gravy
Roberto Dolci, a linguist at Università per Stranieri di Perugia, believes that some immigrants adopted the English term to assimilate into American culture. Rather than using only "sauce," which casually sounded too much like salsa, they changed the meaning of gravy to fit in.
Is KFC gravy made? ›
What is the gravy at KFC made of? The restaurant uses a simple combination of gravy powder, water, and – their secret ingredient – chicken crackling. This is a collection of the browned bits and pieces leftover from frying their world famous chicken.
What's the difference between cream gravy and brown gravy? ›
It turns out, the biggest difference between the two is brown gravy is broth-based, while white gravy typically has a milk or cream base. Garcia said both types usually have flour or cornstarch for thickening and they both contain some sort of “fat or meat drippings.”
Is gravy bad for cholesterol? ›
Limit mayonnaise, salad dressings, gravies and sauces, unless they are homemade with low-fat ingredients. Limit chocolate. Choose low-fat and nonfat products, such as low-fat mayonnaise, low-fat or non-hydrogenated peanut butter, low-fat or fat-free salad dressings and nonfat gravy.
Abnormally soft, slimy, moldy, or discolored gravy means it's spoiled. Even if you remove the slime or mold, Sims explains that leftover microbes can still potentially cause a foodborne illness.
Is gravy a food or drink? ›
Gravy is a savoury sauce traditionally served with roast meats and vegetables. Discover how to make a rich, flavourful gravy at home. A thickened sauce made from the juices that ooze from meat and/or vegetables as they cook. Most commonly served with roast meats and vegetables.
How do you make gravy better? ›
Fortunately, Shannon has several suggestions for fixing bland gravy, starting by adding a bouillon cube, herbs or a splash of wine or cognac. But if you have time to spare, add pan drippings from turkey, bacon or bacon drippings, caramelized vegetables (like onions, leeks, carrots and celery), herbs or garlic.
How do you add richness to gravy? ›
Milk and cream add richness and flavor; they can round out or mellow any sharper flavors that develop along the way. Finishing a sauce or gravy with butter will thicken the gravy and add a velvety texture—a surefire way to up your gravy game.
Is gravy better with flour or cornstarch? ›
Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.
How do chefs thicken gravy? ›
Thicken Gravy with a Roux
To make your roux, use an equal amount of flour and fat, like butter or oil, and follow these steps: Melt the butter or heat the oil in a skillet or saucepan on medium heat. Add the flour and whisk into the fat until all lumps are gone.
