Help! I can't make gravy!?

Question

I have tried and tried, it always comes out tasting like flour, or is too thick. My Mom used to put flour, salt, pepper, and milk in the skillet, didn't measure anything, and it was the best chicken gravy ever [except for Kentucky fried's old recipe]. I know to cook the flour, make a roue, but it still doesnt work. And I do know how to thicken a stew with flour and water shook up in a jar.

Answer 1

You have to have the right proportion of flour and fat to make the roux. Usually you need a little bit more flour than you have fat so that it sort of turns into little beads. Make sure the flour browns up a bit.

Add your liquid (milk, stock, whatever) SLOWLY and bit by bit while you stir with a whisk. Let it slowly come to a boil and then turn the heat down after you've added all your liquid. Then let it simmer a while (maybe 10 minutes or so) to cook out the flour taste.

Answer 2

It took me a while to learn how to make gravy too.

I use just enough flour to barely soak up the grease and brown it with salt and pepper. Meanwhile I have water heating in a teakettle. When the teakettle whistles, I then add the boiled water and keep stirring, until it is about the consistencey I want. Then I add canned milk. Remember to keep stirring so it won't stick.

For a little variation, try adding a little garlic or hotsauce (not too much, though).

Answer 3

I used to struggle with this, too, until I found out I didn't have to use flour and milk at all to make gravy! You can use cornstarch (about a rounded tablespoon or so) in some water, whip it up to dissolve it, and pour it into the pan of drippings (only about a tablespoon or so of the grease, but use all the meat juices you have!) with the meat scrapings, then add more water. If there is not enough meat to flavor the gravy properly, you can use a little powdered bouillion (chicken or beef, as appropriate), and a little dash of liquid smoke for color and a bit of extra flavor. You can stretch it quite a bit by adding water, and more corn starch in water, as needed. Season with salt and pepper, etc., as desired.

Answer 4

Im a decent cook but I cant make gravy either and my mom could make a mean gravy like yours but I guess I didnt get the gravy making genes so I gave in and buy a packet gravy mix or can

Answer 5

The trick is to use just a couple tsp of flour and cook the roue in a couple TBSp of meat drippings and scrape the browned bits of meat from the bottom of the pan. This gives it it's flavor. If no drippings or bits, use a couple tbsp of broth and later add a couple Tbsp of chopped meat. You have to CONSTANTLY stir to keep lumps out. You also must brown flour first before adding the milk. After you have gravymade, if it is too thick, you can cut a bit with more milk. Sounds like the prob though is too much flour and not enough flavor, hence drippings or broth and meat.

Answer 6

If you have a can of chicken noodle soup after opening can use lid to hold noodles out of the way and pour into skillet, then add 1tbsp of flour, salt aand pepper to taste if gravy is a little thin looking than add a pinch more flour untill thicken.

Answer 7

From Martha Stewart (if the kitchen diva can't help you make perfect gravy then no one can!):

Perfect Turkey Gravy

Makes 3 cups
Do not use a non stick pan when cooking your turkey. This way, there will be more crispy, cooked-on bits, which add flavor to the gravy.


Giblet Stock

Perfect Roast Turkey

1 1/2 cups Madeira wine

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Make giblet stock while turkey is roasting.

2. Transfer roasted turkey to a large platter. Pour juices from the pan into a fat separator. Set aside to separate, about 10 minutes.

3. Strain stock, discarding solids, and return to saucepan; warm over low heat. Place roasting pan on top of stove over medium-high heat. Pour Madeira into measuring cup, then into pan, and let it bubble; scrape bottom and sides of pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge cooked-on bits.

4. Make a slurry: Place flour in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Ladle 1 cup stock into jar, and close lid. Shake until combined. Slowly pour into roasting pan; stir to incorporate. Cook over medium heat, stirring until flour is cooked, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly stir in remaining stock.

5. Raise heat to medium high. Add the dark drippings that have settled to the bottom of the fat separator to roasting pan. Discard fat. Stir in rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 10 to 15 minutes to reduce and thicken. (For thicker gravy, add 1 more tablespoon flour and 1/2 cup less stock.)

6. Strain liquid from pan through a very fine sieve. Adjust seasoning. Keep warm in heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water until ready to serve.

Answer 8

You might want to try adding less flour and taking your time with it (coming to a boil more slowly and thickening more slowly). It seems that when you try to hurry it, it doesn't turn out right. My grandma made fabulous gravy, but I remember she had us standing there stirring it for what seemed like forever. She never seemed in a hurry for it. (This was pre-microwave days. We seem to want everything to happen pretty quickly in the kitchen nowadays.)

Answer 9

ok crash course roux is equal parts flour and butter cooked so 2 stcks of butter to 1 cup of flour. melt butter stir in flour and cook for 5 min or so on med med hi heat remove and thicken what ever you want adding about 1 tablespoon at a time and whisking in. i table spoon will thicken about 1 cup. let come to full boil

flour and water or cornstarch and water. also known as a slurry mix about 50 50 water to flour or cornstarch. mix in jar and add to boiling liquid you want to thicken IE stew soup or gravy

Answer 10

You should brown the flour a little. Also you could add a pinch or two of instant coffee after it starts to thicken.If it's too thick add more milk or water.