To start by definition gravy is a sauce, often made from the juices of meats that run naturally during cooking and often thickened with wheat flour or corn starch for added texture.
There are different types of gravies:
- Brown for a gravy made from the drippings from roasted meat or fowl.
- Cream gravy or white gravy is a bechamel most often used in biscuits and gravy and chicken-fried steak. It is usually cooked with a roux being made of meat and or meat drippings, flour and milk.
- Egg gravy is a variety of gravy made starting with meat drippings (usually from bacon) followed by flour being used to make a thick roux. Water, broth, or milk is added and a beaten egg.
- Giblet gravy has the giblets of turkey or chicken added when it is to be served with those types of poultry or uses stock made from the giblets.
- Mushroom gravy is a variety of gravy made with mushrooms.
- Onion gravy is made from large quantities of slowly sweated, chopped onions mixed with stock or wine.
- Red-eye gravy is a gravy made from the drippings of ham fried in a skillet or frying pan.
- Vegetable gravy or vegetarian gravy is gravy made with boiled or roasted vegetables. A quick and flavorful vegetable gravy can be made from any combination of vegetable broth or vegetable stock, flour, and either butter, oil, or margarine.
Gravy is commonly served with biscuits, roasts, meatloaf, rice, noodles, chips (fries) and mashed potatoes.
What do we add flour into the gravy? Well, the only reason is that the flour or the cornstarch will help to thicken any sauce, and gravy is no exception. As long as you can avoid making lumps this option is the fastest way to thicken your gravy. To avoid that just mix your cornstarch or flour with a little water, before adding to your gravy.
The most basic and known as classic gravy is a thickened sauce made of meat drippings, stock, seasonings. The common gravy starts off with a classic roux: equal parts fat and flour are cooked in a skillet until it becomes golden and bubbly; then whisk in pan drippings.
The essential ingredient to perfect gravy? Fat!
Do you know the difference between gravy, jus and sauce?
The sauce is a liquid or cream or semi-solid mixture that is added to food as it cooks or that is served with it.
Jus is made from meat juice that has typically been derived from a roast. Jus is lighter than gravy, it is not thickened with flour; instead, the liquid is reduced until it reaches the desired consistency.
Gravy also is made with drippings from cooked meat but thickened by adding thickening agents to the juices like flour, cornstarch.
Knowing that Christmas is just around the corner, we put together 10 Gravy Recipes that are the perfect combination with your Roasts and the upcoming Festive Feasts!
1. Pan Sauce Gravy
Recipe via thespruceeats.com
This gravy is made with the drippings from preparing a steak, but you can use the drippings from a roast. Before you start, be sure to scrape off all the bits from your roasting pan and skim off some of the liquid fat that might be on top. You can even pour on top of side dishes like mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables.
2. Easy Homemade Brown Gravy (no drippings)
Recipe via sprinklesandsprouts.com
Do you need a delicious gravy but haven’t cooked the roast to get the drippings? Fear not, try out this brow quick and easy homemade recipe.
3. Gluten-Free Gravy
Recipe via glutenfreepalate.com
This gluten-free gravy recipe only requires a few ingredients, including broth (or cooled turkey drippings) and you can switch up the type of broth you use to make it work for the meal you are serving. This gravy recipe is fail-proof (as long as you keep stirring while it cooks and thickens).
4. KFC like Gravy
Recipe via recipetineats.com
Bring the taste of KFC into a homemade gravy.
5. Turkey – Chicken Gravy
Recipe via delish.com
This gravy have you covered with all your roasts, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Also, could be drizzled over all the different types of meats, veggies, and sides of a holiday meal.
6. Onion Gravy
Recipe via epicurious.com
A delicious gravy that is suitable for all vegetarians. Onions are also very commonly used when making red wine gravy.
7. Creamy Peppered White Gravy
Recipe via thechunkychef.com
Want to add ultra creaminess to your chicken!? This is the perfect recipe for it. Creamy and peppery addition to your white meat!
8. Giblet Egg Gravy
Recipe via africanbites.com
Why not try something different yet rich, velvety, and insanely flavorful gravy. This classic Southern recipe Giblet Gravy is made entirely from scratch with homemade giblet stock, roasted turkey or chicken pan drippings, roux, chopped giblets, and a boiled egg.
9. Red Wine Gravy
Recipe via bbc.co.uk
When roasting any chicken, turkey, or duck, keep the juices left from the roasting. This gravy can be used for any roast and you can vary the flavourings – for example, swap the thyme for rosemary with lamb.
10. Mushroom Gravy
Recipe via recipetineats.com
This delicious mushroom gravy can be served with beef, chicken, or any roasts. The mushroom flavour from this gravy will add a real dining experience to your meal. Use white mushrooms for this recipe.
Have you heard of the culinary technics slurry and roux when thickening a gravy? Here is the difference between these two:
The slurry is uncooked, needs no fat, and is added at the end of cooking.
While the roux is cooked, uses fat, and is added at the beginning of cooking.