Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I scraped the bottom of
the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total including chunks. I blundered
ahead, mixing some of the junk from the pan with flour, and then mixing
with the rest of the drippings and some water. It turned out like turkey
broth, not gravy.

Anyway, what did I do wrong, and what should I do tomorrow when I cook
our next turkey (currently brining)? If it helps I still have the necks
and giblets from both turkeys. I heard that some recipes use them for
flavor, even if you don't use them for chunky gravy.

Last week the turkey was great but I had to resort to canned gravy
usually reserved for mashed potatoes. I need *real* gravy for turkey.
Any ideas?

--
John Gaughan
http://www.johngaughan.net/

John Gaughan wrote:

> Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
> failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
> off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I scraped the bottom of
> the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total including chunks. I blundered
> ahead, mixing some of the junk from the pan with flour, and then mixing
> with the rest of the drippings and some water. It turned out like turkey
> broth, not gravy.


This may be a dumb question but did you give it time to reduce?

I also would have used Chicken Stock rather than water...


> Last week the turkey was great but I had to resort to canned gravy
> usually reserved for mashed potatoes.


If you pick up the correct edition of Cook's Illustrated there's a great
article on how to make gravy without using meat (only using onions -
carrots - and celery)... It's easy, quick and will taste infinitely
better on your mashed potatoes than that canned swill...

~john!


--
Say hello to the rug's topography...It holds quite a lot of interest
with your face down on it...

levelwave wrote:
> This may be a dumb question but did you give it time to reduce?

I reduced it for about 15-20 minutes and realized it was going to take a
very long time, so I quit.

> I also would have used Chicken Stock rather than water...

I was going to, but I ran out earlier.

--
John Gaughan
http://www.johngaughan.net/

John Gaughan wrote:
>
> Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
> failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
> off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I scraped the bottom of
> the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total including chunks. I blundered
> ahead, mixing some of the junk from the pan with flour, and then mixing
> with the rest of the drippings and some water. It turned out like turkey
> broth, not gravy.
>
> Anyway, what did I do wrong, and what should I do tomorrow when I cook
> our next turkey (currently brining)? If it helps I still have the necks
> and giblets from both turkeys. I heard that some recipes use them for
> flavor, even if you don't use them for chunky gravy.
>
> Last week the turkey was great but I had to resort to canned gravy
> usually reserved for mashed potatoes. I need *real* gravy for turkey.
> Any ideas?
>
> --
> John Gaughan
> http://www.johngaughan.net/
>


Yeesh!!!

Here is how _I_ make turkey gravy! :-)

I buy 2 packages of gizzards and 2 packages of necks. (turkey of course)

I take the gizzards and chop them, then add several celery stalks, an
onion or two, some garlic powder, fresh sage, fresh thyme, fresh
rosemary and mince the herbs fine with a chefs knife.

I toss all of that into a stock pot and fill about 2/3 with water.

Let simmer on the stove for about 3 hours.

Remove the necks and put aside to cool, and remove most of the stock
broth until you just have a slurry in the bottom with the gizzards and
veggies and herbs.

I then take a braun hand blender and puree that mess. :-)

Add the stock back, debone the necks and put that shredded meat back
into the gravy.

Bring up to a rolling boil and add just enough arrowroot slurry to
thicken to the desired consistancy.

When the roast turkey is done, drain off all the drippings into a fat
separator pitcher. When the fat settles at the top, add that roasted
juice to the gravy.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

QED and it _always_ turns out so well, my guests take some home and I
always make too much. So did mom. <G>

K.

--
>^,,^< Cats-haven Hobby Farm >^,,^< >^,,^<

"There are millions of intelligent species in the universe, and they are
all owned by cats" -- Asimov

Custom handcrafts, Sterling silver beaded jewelry
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...s&userid=katra

In article >, John Gaughan > wrote:
>Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
>failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
>off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I scraped the bottom of
>the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total including chunks. I blundered
>ahead, mixing some of the junk from the pan with flour, and then mixing
>with the rest of the drippings and some water. It turned out like turkey
>broth, not gravy.
>
>Last week the turkey was great but I had to resort to canned gravy
>usually reserved for mashed potatoes. I need *real* gravy for turkey.
>Any ideas?
>

You add some flour to the bottom of the pan and make a roux by letting it
cook for a bit. Add chicken juice, when it comes to a boil that is how thick
it will be. If it is not thick enough add some flour to some cool chicken
juice (not the warm stuff in the pan or you WILL have LuMpS). Add some and let
it come to a boil. Add the thickener in small amounts till you get the
thickness you desire.

The water you used thinned it and took away from the flavor.


--

Charles
The significant problems we face cannot be solved
at the same level of thinking we were at when we
created them. Albert Einstein

John Gaughan > wrote in
:

> Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
> failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
> off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I scraped the bottom of
> the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total including chunks. I blundered
> ahead, mixing some of the junk from the pan with flour, and then mixing
> with the rest of the drippings and some water. It turned out like turkey
> broth, not gravy.
>
> Anyway, what did I do wrong, and what should I do tomorrow when I cook
> our next turkey (currently brining)? If it helps I still have the necks
> and giblets from both turkeys. I heard that some recipes use them for
> flavor, even if you don't use them for chunky gravy.
>
> Last week the turkey was great but I had to resort to canned gravy
> usually reserved for mashed potatoes. I need *real* gravy for turkey.
> Any ideas?
>
> --
> John Gaughan
> http://www.johngaughan.net/
>
>

Use one of those fat removing thingies (looks like a see thru tea pot). The
spout runs from the bottom of the pot, so you can pour off the good pan
juices and not pour off the fat. I think a 4 cup fat skimmer (??) is under
$6.00.

Or wait till the pan juices cool slightly, pour them into a plastic bag,
snip off a corner of the bag and pour juices untill only the fat remains in
the baggie. Pinch it closed and chuck the bag out.

Make up some stock on the side, using the neck, gibbets etc... and a onion,
carrot and some poultry spice blend. Either use water or chicken stock as
the liquid of choice.

I have better luck if I cook up equal measure of butter and flour a few
moments (till the raw flour taste is gone). Stiring well to remove all
possibilities of lumps. Add the stock and pan juices and either some sherry
or brandy. And slowly bring to a boil stiring frequently. The flour will
thicken the stock. Season to taste at this point.

Usually it is 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp flour to 1 cup of the liquids (like
in a white sauce).

--
And the beet goes on! (or under)
-me just a while ago

levelwave wrote:
:: John Gaughan wrote:
::
::: Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an
::: abysmal failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in
::: said to skim off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I
::: scraped the bottom of the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total
::: including chunks. I blundered ahead, mixing some of the junk from
::: the pan with flour, and then mixing with the rest of the drippings
::: and some water. It turned out like turkey broth, not gravy.
::
::
:: This may be a dumb question but did you give it time to reduce?
::
:: I also would have used Chicken Stock rather than water...
::
::
::: Last week the turkey was great but I had to resort to canned gravy
::: usually reserved for mashed potatoes.
::
::
:: If you pick up the correct edition of Cook's Illustrated there's a
:: great article on how to make gravy without using meat (only using
:: onions - carrots - and celery)... It's easy, quick and will taste
:: infinitely better on your mashed potatoes than that canned swill...
::
:: ~john!


We made that gravy the day after Thanksgiving....it was great! I will be
using that again.

John Gaughan wrote:

> Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
> failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
> off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I scraped the bottom of
> the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total including chunks. I blundered
> ahead, mixing some of the junk from the pan with flour, and then mixing
> with the rest of the drippings and some water. It turned out like turkey
> broth, not gravy.
>
> Anyway, what did I do wrong, and what should I do tomorrow when I cook
> our next turkey (currently brining)? If it helps I still have the necks
> and giblets from both turkeys. I heard that some recipes use them for
> flavor, even if you don't use them for chunky gravy.
>
> Last week the turkey was great but I had to resort to canned gravy
> usually reserved for mashed potatoes. I need *real* gravy for turkey.
> Any ideas?

First of all, take the bird out of the oven and remove it from the cooking
pan so that it can sit for a while before carving. Potatoes should be well
on their way to being cooked. I pour the juices into a large measuring cup
and let it sit for a minutes until all the good stuff is at the bottom and
the grease at the top. I ass some wine to the roasting pan to deglaze.
Scrape off all those little dark bits in the pan. That is where you get a
lot of flavour and colour. Gently pour off most of the fat and return the
pan juices to the pan. Sprinkle a bit of flour over the liquid in the pan
and stir in. Turn on the heat and stir watching the consistency. If it
starts to thicken up too much add some potato water. Test for flavour and
season accordingly. Seasoning should be done at the end because if you
season it to taste and then reduce it the seasoning will be intensified.

"John Gaughan" > wrote in message
...
> Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
> failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
> off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I scraped the bottom of
> the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total including chunks. I blundered
> ahead, mixing some of the junk from the pan with flour, and then mixing
> with the rest of the drippings and some water. It turned out like turkey
> broth, not gravy.
>
> Anyway, what did I do wrong, and what should I do tomorrow when I cook
> our next turkey (currently brining)? If it helps I still have the necks
> and giblets from both turkeys. I heard that some recipes use them for
> flavor, even if you don't use them for chunky gravy.
>
> Last week the turkey was great but I had to resort to canned gravy
> usually reserved for mashed potatoes. I need *real* gravy for turkey.
> Any ideas?
>
> --
> John Gaughan
> http://www.johngaughan.net/
>
>
My secret is to use some flour and either cool water or cool stock shaken up
in a jar or some other container. Heat the broth and reduce if necessary,
then start adding this flour/stock mixture (I usually have quite a bit of
broth) until I get the consistency I desire. Season to taste. Never get
lumps this way.

I use the other methods described here when making gravy when there's only a
small amount of drippings.

"John Gaughan" > wrote in message
...
> Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
> failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
> off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I scraped the bottom of
> the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total including chunks. I blundered
> ahead, mixing some of the junk from the pan with flour, and then mixing
> with the rest of the drippings and some water. It turned out like turkey
> broth, not gravy.
>
> Anyway, what did I do wrong, and what should I do tomorrow when I cook
> our next turkey (currently brining)? If it helps I still have the necks
> and giblets from both turkeys. I heard that some recipes use them for
> flavor, even if you don't use them for chunky gravy.
>
> Last week the turkey was great but I had to resort to canned gravy
> usually reserved for mashed potatoes. I need *real* gravy for turkey.
> Any ideas?
>
> --
> John Gaughan
> http://www.johngaughan.net/
>


I must say I disagree with the cook book instructions. To make gravy from
any roasted meat I would recommend the following:

1. Remove the meat from the pan.
2. Place the roasting pan over some burners and degalze the pan with
water or wine or stock or any other liquid you like.
3. Use a defatting cup and seperate the fat from the disolved browned
bits of food from the pan and liquid.
4. If possible make a light colored roux from the fat using the following
formula 1 Tbs fat to 1 Tbs flour for each cup of liquid. At this stage some
herbs and/or spices can be added to the roux to cook a little.
5. Add the liquid to the roux and stir like heck till smoth.
6. Simmer and adjust the seasoning.


IMHO That's all there is to it.

Dimitri

John Gaughan wrote:
>
> Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
> failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
> off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest.

That's ridiculous. Must have been one of those health-food
cookbooks or something.

I use everything that's in the bottom of the pan
after I remove the turkey. Just put the whole pan
on the burner (or scrape everything out of the pan
into a large skillet, and preferably add a little
water or broth to the roasting pan to help loosen
up any recalcitrant brown bits and then scrape that
into the skillet also) and then add flour and cook
the flour a little, then start adding broth until
you get the quantity and thickness you desire. I
often add more flour as I go along (shaken with water
so it won't make lumps), adjusting the thickness.
Season with salt to taste and you should have a
great gravy. I don't worry about the various lumps
caused by the browned bits and so on, just gives the
gravy character.

I think the best gravy is made right in the roasting
pan because none of the good browned bits are lost.
My mother and my grandmother always made it that way.
Only way to go. I got at least 2 quarts of gravy this
year and it was dark brown and rich tasting without adding
any adulterations such as Kitchen Bouquet, which I'm sorry
to say my cousin uses - I think she caught that disease
from her husband's family - she sure didn't get it from
her mother.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

levelwave wrote:
>
> John Gaughan wrote:
>
> > Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
> > failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
> > off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I scraped the bottom of
> > the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total including chunks. I blundered
> > ahead, mixing some of the junk from the pan with flour, and then mixing
> > with the rest of the drippings and some water. It turned out like turkey
> > broth, not gravy.
>
> This may be a dumb question but did you give it time to reduce?
>
> I also would have used Chicken Stock rather than water...

I always make broth from the neck, giblets, and any large
globs of fat removed from the turkey prior to roasting.
The pot sits on the back of the stove simmering all day
and I use it to moisten my stuffing and then when the
gravy is made. Whatever is left I freeze for later when
I make turkey noodle soup from the carcass.
Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

Hark! I heard Kate Connally > say:
> John Gaughan wrote:

> > Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
> > failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
> > off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest.
>
> That's ridiculous. Must have been one of those health-food
> cookbooks or something.

I was going to post my gravy method, but Kate pretty much beat me
to it. However, instead of water, I use turkey broth (from cooking the
gizzard and neck in water) or if that's not enough, chicken broth that
I've saved and frozen during the months of October/November.

<snip>

> I think the best gravy is made right in the roasting
> pan because none of the good browned bits are lost.

Total agreement! The info John found said to keep 1/4 C. of fat, but
that's not where the flavor is -- it's in the stuff in the pan...


--
j.j. ~ mom, gamer, novice cook ~
...fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, yum!

Thank you all for your suggestions. I added a little bit of water and
the necks and giblets to the roasting pan, adding a little bit of water
near the end.

I made a roux from a little bit of the drippings and flour. I then added
the rest of the drippings, some neck meat, removed the giblets (yuck),
and brought to a boil. Meanwhile I deglazed the roasting pan with a tiny
bit of water (didn't want too much water in the gravy) and dumped that
in with the roux. After boiling about 15-20 minutes it was thicker, but
not perfect. Anyway, it tastes great and certainly is good enough for
this attempt. Next time I will probably add a little more flour.

--
John Gaughan
http://www.johngaughan.net/

John Gaughan > wrote in message >...
> Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
> failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
> off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I scraped the bottom of
> the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total including chunks. I blundered
> ahead, mixing some of the junk from the pan with flour, and then mixing
> with the rest of the drippings and some water. It turned out like turkey
> broth, not gravy.
>
> Anyway, what did I do wrong, and what should I do tomorrow when I cook
> our next turkey (currently brining)? If it helps I still have the necks
> and giblets from both turkeys. I heard that some recipes use them for
> flavor, even if you don't use them for chunky gravy.
>
> Last week the turkey was great but I had to resort to canned gravy
> usually reserved for mashed potatoes. I need *real* gravy for turkey.
> Any ideas?

This is what I do with both turkey and chickens, but DH likes a LOT of
meat in his gravy - and I make a lot of gravy. I roast thighs, backs
and necks (with garlic powder and onion powder) in a roasting pan with
about an inch and a half of water in it -about half-way covering the
meat, 350F for an hour (or more), until meat is done. Remove meat
from bones, chop bones, return bones to pan, add more water if
necessary, and roast an additional couple, three hours at 300, covered
(or in crock pot,overnight). Remove bones. Reduce the broth if you
need to. I remove excess fat, but not all of it. (At this point you
can freeze the stock for later use.) Heat broth until just boiling.
Stir in flour that has been dissolved in cold water - a thickish,
soupy paste - very carefully while whisking the gravy, so as not to
form lumps. Gravy will thicken. If not thick enough after 5-7
minutes of simmering, add more flour mix. Season to taste - I use
black pepper, granulated garlic powder, granulated onion powder and a
little dried thyme (not too much of any of these!). Add chopped meat
back to gravy, if desired, and heat through.

If roasting a whole turkey, I do the same, but use less starter meat,
and use the broth off the turkey to extend the gravy.

Good luck,
-L.

"j.j." wrote:
>
> Hark! I heard Kate Connally > say:
> > John Gaughan wrote:
>
> > > Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
> > > failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
> > > off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest.
> >
> > That's ridiculous. Must have been one of those health-food
> > cookbooks or something.
>
> I was going to post my gravy method, but Kate pretty much beat me
> to it. However, instead of water, I use turkey broth (from cooking the
> gizzard and neck in water)

Hmmm? I thought I said broth. I always use broth
from the neck and giblets as mentioned in another post.
I would never use just water. I only use cold water (a
small amount) to mix with the flour to add for additional
thickening if necessary.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

John Gaughan wrote:
>
> Thank you all for your suggestions. I added a little bit of water and
> the necks and giblets to the roasting pan, adding a little bit of water
> near the end.
>
> I made a roux from a little bit of the drippings and flour. I then added
> the rest of the drippings, some neck meat, removed the giblets (yuck),
> and brought to a boil. Meanwhile I deglazed the roasting pan with a tiny
> bit of water (didn't want too much water in the gravy) and dumped that
> in with the roux. After boiling about 15-20 minutes it was thicker, but
> not perfect. Anyway, it tastes great and certainly is good enough for
> this attempt. Next time I will probably add a little more flour.

You can always add more flour (mixed with cold water
and well shaken or stirred to prevent lumps) if the gravy
needs to be thicker. Just be sure to simmer it at least
10 minutes afterward to cook the flour.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

>John Gaughan > wrote:

>> Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
>> failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
>> off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest.

?? Are you sure it didn't say to skim off all *but* 1/4 cup of fat?
The essence of gravy is the brown bits on the bottom of the pan,
together with *some* fat. Stir it around around, scraping the browned
bits off the bottom, add a few tablespoons of flour, stir *that*
around for a while to cook the roux. When the roux is cooked (3-4
minutes) add water or broth of choice. Gravy is just a variation of
'white sauce.' Fat + starch + liquid. You could add diced giblets to
the initial, pre-flour stirring around, or use them and maybe the neck
to make a broth to use as the liquid. White sauce proportions are
(roughly) 1 Tblsp fat, 1Tblsp flour, 1 cup liquid for thin sauce..
Double fat and flour for 'medium'; Triple for 'thick'. So 1/4 cup
"drippings", 1/4 cup flour, and 2 cups of liquid would make a
medium-thick sauce. Or gravy.

Hark! I heard Kate Connally > say:
> "j.j." wrote:
> >
> > Hark! I heard Kate Connally > say:
> > > John Gaughan wrote:
> >
> > > > Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an abysmal
> > > > failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to skim
> > > > off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest.
> > >
> > > That's ridiculous. Must have been one of those health-food
> > > cookbooks or something.
> >
> > I was going to post my gravy method, but Kate pretty much beat me
> > to it. However, instead of water, I use turkey broth (from cooking
> > the gizzard and neck in water)
>
> Hmmm? I thought I said broth. I always use broth
> from the neck and giblets as mentioned in another post.
> I would never use just water. I only use cold water (a
> small amount) to mix with the flour to add for additional
> thickening if necessary.

From Message-ID: >

"Just put the whole pan on the burner (or scrape everything out
of the pan into a large skillet, and preferably add a little
water or broth to the roasting pan to help loosen"

But you're right, that's not the same thing as actually *making*
the gravy with water. Soemtimes I trim too much...


--
j.j. ~ mom, gamer, novice cook ~
...fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, yum!

"Kate Connally" > wrote in message
...
> levelwave wrote:
> >
> > John Gaughan wrote:
> >
> > > Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an
abysmal
> > > failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to
skim
> > > off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I scraped the bottom of
> > > the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total including chunks. I blundered
> > > ahead, mixing some of the junk from the pan with flour, and then
mixing
> > > with the rest of the drippings and some water. It turned out like
turkey
> > > broth, not gravy.
> >
> > This may be a dumb question but did you give it time to reduce?
> >
> > I also would have used Chicken Stock rather than water...
>
> I always make broth from the neck, giblets, and any large
> globs of fat removed from the turkey prior to roasting.
> The pot sits on the back of the stove simmering all day
> and I use it to moisten my stuffing and then when the
> gravy is made. Whatever is left I freeze for later when
> I make turkey noodle soup from the carcass.
> Kate
>

Be sure not to include the liver when doing this. Liver-flavored gravy is
not too appealing! I like to include a couple of extra turkey wings when
making stock - you get more stock and better flavor than if you use only the
extra pieces from your bird.

Making gravy is not difficult to do but it is difficult to describe. The
process depends on what's in the bottom of the roasting pan when the turkey
is done. Depending on the bird, what you baste it with, etc. you may have
too much fat, just enough, or not enough. The "browned bits" may be fine or
they may be burned in which case they should be discarded. There's nothing
like looking over an experienced cook's shoulder at least once to get a feel
for these things.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

What we did for Thanksgiving was "giblet gravy".

We were going by a family recipe, rather than one in a book, so much of it
was without details on amounts. But basically, you boil giblets in a pan of
water, letting the flavor get in there. Afterwards, you add flour and pan
drippings, simmering here and there, until the gravy is as thick as you
like.'

I think we could have added abit more pan drippings, but after spending a
night in the refridgerator, the gravy was abit thicker than the first day.

Hark! I heard "Peter Aitken" > say:

> Making gravy is not difficult to do but it is difficult to describe. The
> process depends on what's in the bottom of the roasting pan when the turkey
> is done. Depending on the bird, what you baste it with, etc. you may have
> too much fat, just enough, or not enough. The "browned bits" may be fine or
> they may be burned in which case they should be discarded. There's nothing
> like looking over an experienced cook's shoulder at least once to get a feel
> for these things.

I agree with Peter -- thankfully, I had my Mom to learn from. My
sister says she can't make gravy. I think she could if she tried,
but it's an intimidating process...


--
j.j. ~ mom, gamer, novice cook ~
...fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, yum!

Peter Aitken wrote:
>
> "Kate Connally" > wrote in message
> ...
> > levelwave wrote:
> > >
> > > John Gaughan wrote:
> > >
> > > > Last Thursday I tried making gravy for the first time. It was an
> abysmal
> > > > failure that went down the drain. The cookbook I looked in said to
> skim
> > > > off 1/4 cup of the fat and pitch the rest. If I scraped the bottom of
> > > > the pan, I think I had 1/4 cup total including chunks. I blundered
> > > > ahead, mixing some of the junk from the pan with flour, and then
> mixing
> > > > with the rest of the drippings and some water. It turned out like
> turkey
> > > > broth, not gravy.
> > >
> > > This may be a dumb question but did you give it time to reduce?
> > >
> > > I also would have used Chicken Stock rather than water...
> >
> > I always make broth from the neck, giblets, and any large
> > globs of fat removed from the turkey prior to roasting.
> > The pot sits on the back of the stove simmering all day
> > and I use it to moisten my stuffing and then when the
> > gravy is made. Whatever is left I freeze for later when
> > I make turkey noodle soup from the carcass.
> > Kate
> >
>
> Be sure not to include the liver when doing this. Liver-flavored gravy is
> not too appealing!

I *do* include the liver. And my gravy does not taste like
liver. And since I use the same broth as part of the
broth for my turkey noodle soup it doesn't taste livery
either.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

"j.j." wrote:
>
> Hark! I heard "Peter Aitken" > say:
>
> > Making gravy is not difficult to do but it is difficult to describe. The
> > process depends on what's in the bottom of the roasting pan when the turkey
> > is done. Depending on the bird, what you baste it with, etc. you may have
> > too much fat, just enough, or not enough. The "browned bits" may be fine or
> > they may be burned in which case they should be discarded. There's nothing
> > like looking over an experienced cook's shoulder at least once to get a feel
> > for these things.
>
> I agree with Peter -- thankfully, I had my Mom to learn from. My
> sister says she can't make gravy. I think she could if she tried,
> but it's an intimidating process...

I don't see what's intimidating about it. How hard is it
to make a roux and then add liquid to get a sauce? It you
"tell" people it's intimidating then they might believe you
and actually find it intimidating. If you tell them how
easy it is, they might actually relax and find out it's
actually not hard at all.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

Kate Connally wrote:
>
> "j.j." wrote:
> >
> > Hark! I heard "Peter Aitken" > say:
> >
> > > Making gravy is not difficult to do but it is difficult to describe. The
> > > process depends on what's in the bottom of the roasting pan when the turkey
> > > is done. Depending on the bird, what you baste it with, etc. you may have
> > > too much fat, just enough, or not enough. The "browned bits" may be fine or
> > > they may be burned in which case they should be discarded. There's nothing
> > > like looking over an experienced cook's shoulder at least once to get a feel
> > > for these things.
> >
> > I agree with Peter -- thankfully, I had my Mom to learn from. My
> > sister says she can't make gravy. I think she could if she tried,
> > but it's an intimidating process...
>
> I don't see what's intimidating about it. How hard is it
> to make a roux and then add liquid to get a sauce? It you
> "tell" people it's intimidating then they might believe you
> and actually find it intimidating. If you tell them how
> easy it is, they might actually relax and find out it's
> actually not hard at all.
>
> Kate
>

Making good gravy is not hard, just a bit time consuming but WELL worth
the effort IMHO! ;-)

I don't like flour roux personally.
I thicken gravy with arrowroot. I get more consistant results.

We have some Lotus root powder in the cabinet that dad brought with him,
but I know nothing about using it. He's been trying to get me to try it.

Anyone know anything about lotus root as a thickener?

Thanks!

K.

--
>^,,^< Cats-haven Hobby Farm >^,,^< >^,,^<

"There are millions of intelligent species in the universe, and they are
all owned by cats" -- Asimov

Custom handcrafts, Sterling silver beaded jewelry
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAP...s&userid=katra

Katra typed:

> Making good gravy is not hard, just a bit time consuming but WELL worth
> the effort IMHO! ;-)
>
> I don't like flour roux personally.
> I thicken gravy with arrowroot. I get more consistant results.
>
> We have some Lotus root powder in the cabinet that dad brought with him,
> but I know nothing about using it. He's been trying to get me to try it.
>
> Anyone know anything about lotus root as a thickener?
>
I heard that it was hallucinogenic. <eg>

BOB

I disagree that making gravy is not difficult. I've been cooking for 50
years, and I'll bet it took me 10 years before, when I started making gravy,
I knew how it would turn out. Good gravy is tough until you get it figured
out!

I told a daughter-in-law once to use the proportions for a medium white
sauce, since I've never measured, or known HOW to measure, the ingredients
in gravy.

"Kate Connally" > wrote in message
...
> "j.j." wrote:
> >
> > Hark! I heard "Peter Aitken" > say:
> >
> > > Making gravy is not difficult to do but it is difficult to describe.
The
> > > process depends on what's in the bottom of the roasting pan when the
turkey
> > > is done. Depending on the bird, what you baste it with, etc. you may
have
> > > too much fat, just enough, or not enough. The "browned bits" may be
fine or
> > > they may be burned in which case they should be discarded. There's
nothing
> > > like looking over an experienced cook's shoulder at least once to get
a feel
> > > for these things.

Hark! I heard Kate Connally > say:
> "j.j." wrote:
> >
> > Hark! I heard "Peter Aitken" > say:
> >
> > > Making gravy is not difficult to do but it is difficult to describe. The
> > > process depends on what's in the bottom of the roasting pan when the
> turkey
> > > is done. Depending on the bird, what you baste it with, etc. you may have
> > > too much fat, just enough, or not enough. The "browned bits" may be fine
> or
> > > they may be burned in which case they should be discarded. There's nothing
> > > like looking over an experienced cook's shoulder at least once to get a
> feel
> > > for these things.
> >
> > I agree with Peter -- thankfully, I had my Mom to learn from. My
> > sister says she can't make gravy. I think she could if she tried,
> > but it's an intimidating process...
>
> I don't see what's intimidating about it. How hard is it
> to make a roux and then add liquid to get a sauce?

Given the number of posts to RFC about making gravy and/or roux,
apparently it's hard for some people. We all have different
talents.

> It you
> "tell" people it's intimidating then they might believe you
> and actually find it intimidating. If you tell them how
> easy it is, they might actually relax and find out it's
> actually not hard at all.

I've never told her it's intimidating; that's just my take on
her (and other folks) reaction to the idea of making gravy...


--
j.j. ~ mom, gamer, novice cook ~
...fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, yum!

John Gaughan wrote:
I need *real* gravy for turkey.
> Any ideas?

My "never fail" gravy:
Take one tablespoon of fat (or oil or butter)
Heat in a non-stick pan.
Add one tablespoon flour.
Mix and stir, stir and mix over medium heat.
[Unmixed flour will form lumps when you add liquid!]
When the flour starts to brown a bit
- start adding your liquid* a little at a time.
It should fizzle and start to clump up... don't worry.
Keep adding liquid, then stirring, until the gravy has the desired
consistency.

You may season it with whatever you like - salt, pepper, crab boil, poultry
seasoning... but just be light on the spices.

Of course, when it cools, it may become a thick mess - just add water when
reheating. Remember - eat it quick before it hardens ;-)

[It's also known as a roux - used for flavoring soups in Cajun cooking]

*liquid - fatless pan drippings, broth, stock, bouillon cube dissolved in a
cup of water, skim milk, veggie can liquor
.... don't add more fat - will form a messy pool on the top.

If you make it too thin, a quick rescue is found in either corn starch
slurry (cold water and cornstarch) added to hot gravy - in small amounts
(keep stirring!) or mashed potato flakes (be careful! use small amounts, a
tablespoon at a time).