I have had a few people email me asking for the Gravy Recipe that I make along with the Champagne Turkey.  So I thought I’d post it in case more people wanted to take advantage of the easy ‘how to’.

The Gravy

For each 2 cups of gravy desired use 3 tablespoons fat, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and 2 cups of liquid (the juices).

While the turkey is resting, pull the juices from the roasting pan.  I usually use the turkey baster to pull the juices from the pan, and put it in a fat-separator measuring cup.  You can get one of those measuring cups fairly cheap at places like Target, Wal*Mart, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc.  Mine looks like this:

If you don’t have one, just make sure you skim and discard any excess fat from the juices with a heavy spoon.

Place the juices in a saucepan and heat on medium or medium-low heat. (Sometimes I’m impatient and I’ll turn it on medium-high heat so it’ll heat up faster).

In a separate container with a lid (a mason jar works great), shake together the all-purpose flour and about 1 to 2 cups of cool water (I usually use some the cooled juices just for that purpose so as to keep the flavor intact…once I forgot to let the juices cool down and burned my hand because the jar got so hot.  Don’t do that.).  This is what’s called a ‘slurry’ – adding the thickener (flour) this way helps prevent lumps from forming.

Once the drippings in the pan are lightly bubbling, slowly add the slurry mixture to the gravy pan, stirring constantly (I use a whisk to make sure no lumps start to form). If it starts to thicken immediately, stop adding the remaining slurry, you may not need to use the whole amount depending on how much or little drippings were in the pan.

Simmer gently about 10 minutes to cook the flour all the way through (undercooked flour gives off a raw taste).  Salt and pepper to taste.  If you find that your gravy isn’t thickening to your specifications, add more slurry until it does.  If it gets too thick, you can water it down a bit to thin it out, or add more of the pan drippings. 

Pour the gravy into a warmed gravy boat or wide-mouthed pitcher for serving.  If lumps do develop, you should be able to use a wire whisk to remove them, or you can ‘cheat’ and pour the gravy through a fine sieve to eliminate any lumps before putting it in a gravy boat or whatever container you’re going to use to serve it.  Not that I’ve ever had to do that…very often.

Remember that gravy will continue to thicken after it has been removed from the heat.

Instead of using regular flour, I found this awesome stuff by Gold Medal called ‘Wondra’ – it’s Quick-Mixing Sauce & Gravy Flour that dissolves quicker in liquid than flour does, and it doesn’t give you that ‘flour’ taste in your gravy or sauces.  It looks like this:

Using the Wondra I’ve found you don’t have to simmer the gravy for a full 10 minutes to eliminate the flour taste, because it doesn’t have that heavy flour taste to begin with.  Just simmer until thickened.

Here’s a helpful ‘formula’ when making any type of gravy:

1-1-1 Sauce and Gravy Formula
When making sauces and gravies and want to get the right consistency without trial and error, just remember this easy 1-1-1 formula.
To thicken 1 cup of stock, use 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon flour

If you missed my previous Thanksgiving Feast Posts, here’s the list of the recipes, conveniently linked for you:

Champagne Turkey
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Slow Cooker Apple Stuffing/Dressing
Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes
Cranberry Sauce with Port and Cinnamon
Pumpkin Cognac Crème Brûlée
Apple Cranberry Pie

Don’t forget to check out my giveaways!  Two of them end Friday night…  There are direct links to them in my left side bar at the top. 

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25 Comments

  1. yum…gravy makes all the difference in teh world…bad gravy ruins thanksgiving, but maybe thats just me.

  2. I've never liked gravy but hubby does. I like knowing that 1-1-1 rule!

    You're a wine whiz and a great cook! What's next?

  3. Mmmm… I love gravy and I've never quite mastered it.

    You changed back to the pop-up window and boy did it take forever!

    Justine 😮 )

  4. I've had great success with the Tupperware shaker and a whisk when making my gravy. If it's a bit "white" I throw in some soysauce. LOL

  5. I was taught the key to lumpless gravy is to pull off some of the juices and let them cool before mixing them with any thickening agent. Then add to body of liquid, and slowly reheat. I haven't dealt with a "lumpy" gravy since I learned this trick… same ingredients, different heats.. Just kibbutzing..

  7. Yay it worked! Thanks!

    In my old-er age I am just starting to appreciate gravy, in that I pour it over EVERYTHING on my plate now…except the cranberries and sweet potatoes…ok that's a lie, it goes over EVERYTHING! 😉

    Thanks for sharing all the fantastic recipes! I cannot WAIT for Thanksgiving!!!

  9. Hello there, what a cute blog and soooo much helpful information. Love the gravy post right now, it seems that making gravy is always a little tricky and I know I'll need it with Thanksgiving coming right up.

    Best wishes,

    Kristin

  10. Your blog reminded me I need to start thinking about Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks for the recipe, gives me a jump start!

  12. I am so excited for a REAL gravy recipe. When I go to the inlaws and they pull out the gravy packet from Wal-Mart, I almost convulse out of my chair!

  14. Thank you for this. I may or may not try it but I am going to star this in my reader. I never have luck with this and have tried so many time. I buy the jar gravy and add drippings to it. It works for me.

  17. I've got an even easier recipe. Go to Sonoma Market where everything is made fresh in their kitchens. Buy their gravy. It even comes in completely biodegradable containers made out of corn starch.

    I love to cook, but I don't do gravy.

  18. We've been wondering where to go for Thanksgiving this year. It's been decided…. we are coming to your place!

  19. I'm an awful gravy maker. Maybe one day I will get it right. This might just be the answer to my prayers.

  20. These all look wonderful and the creme brulle sounds to die for.

    I could literally just sit down with a big cup of gravy and be happy 🙂

  21. OH man now I think I have to make some! I must admit I haven't had the best luck with gravy, I usually leave it to grandma. She can rock it! 🙂

  24. Yum! Gravy is the best for mashed potatoes and chicken~

    I've always wondered what the ingredients for making gravy are. I once saw Rachael Ray making it, and she like mixed all kinds of sauces! (ketchup, soy sauce… etc). So weird. 😀

  25. I hate making the gravy and for some reason my Mom thinks I make the best! Thanks for the easy tips, I will have to try it this year!

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