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Discussion Boards => Off-Topic => Topic started by: sommap on October 14, 2011, 09:32:48 am

Title: Can you make gravy?
Post by: sommap on October 14, 2011, 09:32:48 am
The first time I tried to make gravy was a disaster.  I had made chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner, as a newly wed.  I made gravy to go with the potatoes.  It tasted like library paste, was white, and just as thick.

I later improved and now I m the one they ask to make the gravy with Thanksgiving turkey, etc. 
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: dreamyxo on October 14, 2011, 09:36:03 am
I don't make it often but I know how to make it.  My father made his with instant coffee and it was good.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: patycake56 on October 14, 2011, 11:05:44 am
yes i can make all kinds and i do all the cooking aroundhere and that includes thanksgiving dinner for25 to 30 people
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: jkhanson on October 14, 2011, 11:07:17 am
I can make it, but I rarely do.  

My mom always made it from the drippings leftover from frying the chicken.

It was good!!

I don't fry chicken so I don't make the gravy.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: Cuppycake on October 14, 2011, 11:42:05 am
I am a southern girl born and raised. It would be very unsouthern not to make my own gravy!
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: remediagirl on October 14, 2011, 11:53:38 am
Yep. I can make gravy. If it gets lumpy I just strain it. It did take some practice...but I learned when I was a kid. My Mom is really good at it. And so is my mother in law.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: diala84 on October 14, 2011, 11:54:54 am
I don't like gravy so I never saw a reason to make it usually someone else makes it if they want it at thanksgiving or another special time.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: lywb2168 on October 14, 2011, 12:05:15 pm
Yes, I can amek it from scratch, but I get lazy, so I buy the pack, but instead of water I use the drippings or the juice from the meat I cook, if turkey or roasted chicken I drain their juices and mix that with a pack of powdser gravy.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: fogarty815 on October 14, 2011, 12:34:32 pm
Yes :angel11:the secret to making sure it isnt lumpy is to use a fork when the whisk doesn't seem to be working. The other thing I do is use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken, it makes fewer lumps. :fish:
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: mimimarlene on October 14, 2011, 03:10:50 pm
Wasn't great at making gravy, now I think it is terrific, especially my turkey gravy at Thanksgiving
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: webe4angels on October 15, 2011, 02:27:54 am
Yes I can make gravy... but we do not have it very often... Mainly on holidays. 
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: cateyes1 on October 15, 2011, 03:14:56 am
I havent made gravy but my Mom made THE BEST :)
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: poppy1 on October 15, 2011, 06:08:54 am
I can make any type of gravy!  ;D And on lazy days I just open a can of cream of something to do the job.... :dontknow:
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: acurtsinger2 on October 15, 2011, 06:31:40 am
i can make it pretty good now,  but the first few times i tried was a nasty mess.  too thick, too thin, no flavor   it takes practice
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: masked_brown_guy on October 15, 2011, 06:53:07 am
The kind that comes in the powdered pack is pretty good and easy to make.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: kay7 on October 15, 2011, 07:20:45 am
My husband is great at making all kinds of gravy but turkey gravy escapes us.  We've tried store gravy but don't like it.  What I don't understand is why you can't buy turkey broth like you can chicken broth. 
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: sommap on October 15, 2011, 09:14:29 am
We simmer the turkey neck and a few other turkey parts for an hour or so.  We cool that off for our turkey gravy juice.  After the turkey comes out of the roaster, we shake some  cold turkey broth in a jar with flour and salt and pepper.  By shaking the flour with the cold broth, you don't have any lumps.  Add that to the roaster pan with the browned drippings and cook until desired thickness. 
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: jordandog on October 15, 2011, 09:57:09 am
My husband is great at making all kinds of gravy but turkey gravy escapes us.  We've tried store gravy but don't like it.  What I don't understand is why you can't buy turkey broth like you can chicken broth. 

Actually, kay7, you can buy turkey broth. The only one I am familiar with, and have used on occasion, is made by Savory Choice. You can get it in some stores, but not all, and it comes in cardboard 'boxes' and has 4 pouches or sticks you add water to and make the liquid turkey broth. I know it can be purchased online if you don't see it where you shop and want to try it. It has a homemade taste and it's not outrageously priced either. ;)

I learned how to make any sauce or gravy there is when I was very young, so I am the 'go-to' for gravy and also make huge batches of it that my friends get from me around the holidays. I am not a person who drowns anything in gravy, but I love it on certain things and agree with whoever said to use cornstarch vs flour as a thickening agent, but NOT for a basic white sauce/roux. For those I use [wheat] flour. Tapioca is also a great one to use believe it or not - and no, you don't end up with little 'pearls' in your gravy. I have been told many times over the years that I make the best, but that's probably a way to keep ME hosting/cooking for all the huge get togethers. ;D

**For those who use the packets you add water to? Have you ever looked at the outrageous amount of salt in them?! They're really not healthy for anyone who needs to watch their sodium intake.**
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: gramev64 on October 15, 2011, 11:37:08 am
The first time I made gravy it was one big mass of lumps and no matter how hard I tried to get rid of them they just wouldn't go.  I eventually learned how to make a good gravy, but try not to make it too ofter because  that is my favorite, mashed potatoes and gravy.  I would take more mashed potatoes and gravy instead of dessert!!
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: bretay on October 15, 2011, 11:46:04 am
Yes I know how to make gravy.My mil taught me when I was 15,she was the one sho taught me to make biscuits.I just made some gravy yesterday to go over some rice.So good.Nothing beats the taste of homemade gravy and biscuits.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: lannl on October 16, 2011, 12:20:56 am
I like to make gravy with those gravy making packages that you can buy at the grocery store. Otherwise I do not know how to make gravy.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: bigfoot951 on October 16, 2011, 11:12:10 am
Can I?  Probably, if I did enough trial and error, but I haven't tried to make it vary much.  So when I have made it, it was terrible.  I don't like to eat gravy on many things so it doesn't bother me, and just don't try to make it.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: mgint on October 17, 2011, 07:10:41 am
yes but it is easier to just buy in a jar or can.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: pfrancis001 on October 17, 2011, 08:50:37 am
i finally learned how to make homemade gravy,  after so many try's with lumps.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: Cuppycake on October 18, 2011, 06:46:08 am
I like to make gravy with those gravy making packages that you can buy at the grocery store. Otherwise I do not know how to make gravy.

LOL ! That isn't really making gravy. That is more like boiling water. ;p
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: lvstephanie on October 18, 2011, 09:23:41 am
Yes, I can.... I think I was the only guy in our college dorm that had been taught many of the basics in cooking. My mom's an excellent cook and she made sure to teach both my sister and I how to cook many of the basics before we went off to college, where we'd have to fend for ourselves. I'm very glad now that I was taught so much; I think I could cook a Turkey-Day meal and I love making mac and cheese from scratch using a bachemel sauce as the base and adding in tons of cheese and sausages!

@Kay7 and @jordandog: Kitchen Basics has a variety of different flavored cooking stocks, including not only the common ones like chicken, vegetable, and beef, but also turkey, ham, seafood, pork, clam, and veal! For many of the specialty ones, if they are in the store, they are usually in the 8oz. size instead of the more standard 32 oz. size; the common ones being in both sizes. I live in a fairly good sized town (just over 100K pop.) so there is at least one grocery store that has some of these more specialty items, but they may not be available all over esp. if the demand is fairly low. But I do like all of the KB stocks; I actually used the seafood stock in a seafood jambalaya I had made instead of water to cook the rice; it gave the whole dish a little hint of seafood -- very delicioso!
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: girlswin2 on October 18, 2011, 12:20:27 pm
Oh yes got to have the gravy Southern born and raised if you live down here you will learn to make it.  I have found using either butter and flower to start it or either cornstarch mixed up in water to thicken the broth of the chicken or beef juices.  Quite easy to make just use wisk to mix it and usually no lumps.   Then just add whatever spices etc to get it to the taste you want.   
:thumbsup:    :wave:
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: Adroden2010 on October 18, 2011, 02:24:22 pm
Ive tried to make it several times and failed every time.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: MessiahMews on October 18, 2011, 02:37:15 pm
Yes, I can make it really good.  I can go chicken gravy or beef gravy.

The key is to NOT burn it before adding the water/milk.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: Flackle on October 18, 2011, 07:26:45 pm
Fry any meat with a good enough fat content to get some grease. Turn the heat to about medium and start adding shifted flour. Cook it for a while, getting it nice and thick. If you start seeing black spots that means you waited too long and it began to burn. You'll probably do this your first few times so just try again next time.

Once you think its cooked enough start adding either water or milk. I'd recommend milk for breakfast, water for everything else. Pour it in to desired consistency. The more milk/water you add the thiner it will be. If it taste strange it either got burnt, the grease was made using spoiled meat, or something else got added (be sure you using really clean spoons and a pan because anything stuck onto them may get cooked up into the gravy.) Be careful when cooking with milk. If you cook the gravy with milk too long all the water evaporates and your gravy will have a strong milky taste. Water doesn't matter as munch since you can just add more water.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: sdecaro558 on October 19, 2011, 09:48:20 am
Never attempted to, but I'm sure I'd be able to do so if I tried.
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: dwggs on October 19, 2011, 10:20:28 am
Yes ... I make great gravy ... unfortunately there are only two people in my house so I don't cook many chicken, turkeys or roasts
Title: Re: Can you make gravy?
Post by: brendy1990 on October 19, 2011, 11:03:05 am
yes i make gravy at least 3 times a month my kids love mashed potatos and gravy and sausage gravy and biscuits, once you learn how to make the differnt kinds of gravy its easy , my mother inlaw uses corn starch and my family always uses flour so i guess its just your prefrence