Good gravy

[Nurian]

I've come to realize that as good (supposedly) as I am at cooking, my brown gravy is like Uwe Boll.


Tasteless and bad.

[BookstoreEscapee]

My mommy makes the best gravy in the world.

[Kiwi]

I find the best way to make brown gravy is to make sure I toast the flour for the roux to a nutty brown without letting it burn, using pan drippings and using a good beef stock to top up my liquid.
If I don't brown my roux I get grey looking gravy.

[r2cagle]

Sautee some onion with butter and salt and pepper, add McCormick's brown gravy mix and cup of water, bring to boil... you now have a passable brown gravy. I too struggle with homemade browns... I make a killer white or cheese sauce though.

[Ree]

My MIL made the best gravy I ever tasted.

She taught my husband to make gravy.

I never did learn their secret. :(
(He made a roux, such as Kiwi mentioned, but he never taught me how to do it. I'm sure I recall his Mom mentioning about browning the flour.)

I haven't tasted good gravy in almost 2 years now. :(

My gravy is OK.
It tastes good, but I can never quite get it to thicken properly.
If I do get it to thicken, it goes too thick or ends up lumpy.

I started buying gravy mixes and even bought some Bisto. It helps a bit.

[AdminAssistant]

My mom makes the most amazing milk gravy....and she makes it look so easy. Just toss a bit of flour into the pan (that you've fried something delicious in), add milk and water. Stir. I don't know how she does it.

[MaggieTheCat]

Another way I've found to thicken pan drippings or broths is to use softened butter mixed with flour, instead of milk + flour, added right to the liquid.

[pssorens]

I'll need to dig through my "Good Eats" DVD's but Alton Brown recommended browning the roux in the oven to keep from burning it. ( It was the Cajun episode with the Justin Wilson Parody)

[MaggieTheCat]

I'll need to dig through my "Good Eats" DVD's but Alton Brown recommended browning the roux in the oven to keep from burning it. ( It was the Cajun episode with the Justin Wilson Parody)

Interesting, I'd never heard of browning a roux in the oven. It looks like he doesn't make a full gravy in this recipe, but he does give ingredients and instructions for browning the roux in the oven: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shrimp-gumbo-recipe/index.html I will have to try that!

[purple]

I always just made gravey with drippings, flour, water and the secret ingredient. However as the secret ingredient is Marmite I am not sure what could be used instead.

[AccountingDrone]

Another way I've found to thicken pan drippings or broths is to use softened butter mixed with flour, instead of milk + flour, added right to the liquid.

Beurre manié [kneaded butter] classical french cooking technique =) been using it for years. Did you know it freezes nicely molded into little 1 tbsp pats? Then you pop them off the cookie sheet and store them in big ziplok bags until you need them =)