Cheating with gravy

[Cumberland]

I really dont make good gravy. So this year, I bought a glass jar of turkey gravy, and I was going to use it in my roux and add some turkey stock from my real turkey. Does this sound like an ok plan? Any suggestions?

[MrsK]

That's what I do (Heinz in the glass jar) and it gets raves. Last year MIL went on and on about how she always has trouble with gravy.

[spotty_dog]

I'm doing the opposite, I want to do real gravy for the first time so I'm hoping doing it ahead will mean I do OK. I've been making a decent bechamel sauce recently and that's the same technique, right? MIL will be here so everything will have a witness, which is what really scares me. I'm used to screwing up in the kitchen with no one the wiser.

[scrub-jay]

On real gravy - if you thicken using corn starch (which is fast and easy)-- just mix it with water to make a liquid paste prior to adding it. Then spoon the liquid paste it in slowly while stirring to thicken to the desired thickness. I think the biggest mistake made on gravy is pouring the cornstarch in dry to the thicken the gravy sauce-- then you risk getting clumps that never go away. I make a mushroom gravy to die for (it is my mother's recipe) using this and it is always a favorite at Thanksgiving.

Hope this helps.

ETA: The gravy is usually the last thing I make because I use the drippings from the Turkey (or whatever meat I am cooking).

Alison, that is how I make gravy and it works. Good luck! The cornstarch slurry works well too.

[spotty_dog]

Alison, that is how I make gravy and it works. Good luck! The cornstarch slurry works well too.

OK, thanks. If it turns out scary I'll just blame the fact that we won't have pan drippings to use (the recipe my MIL instructed me to use has a cranberry glaze that I'm sure will burn all over the pan). Well, SIL said something about how this recipe makes the "best gravy" but I *think* she was talking about the extra glaze that you're to pass at the table.

My Cooks Illustrated Holiday Guide (so glad I picked that thing up and now I want a magazine subscription!) has a recipe where you make turkey broth from chicken broth and giblets, and thicken it with a roux, as much as a day in advance, then just stir in drippings, heat and serve. I'll be doing it sans the drippings.

[scrub-jay]

My Cooks Illustrated Holiday Guide (so glad I picked that thing up and now I want a magazine subscription!) has a recipe where you make turkey broth from chicken broth and giblets, and thicken it with a roux, as much as a day in advance, then just stir in drippings, heat and serve. I'll be doing it sans the drippings.

Two things - first, the rue works really well and second, once you start with Cooks Illustrated, you run the risk of becoming addicted to CI and America's Test Kitchen (same group or at least a lot of overlap). DH and I are total CI addicts...in a big way. Enjoy!