Oh, gravy, the quintessential companion to everything from fried chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes, and even seafood. While not the healthiest of fare, no Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner would be complete without it.
While we’re all relatively familiar with beef gravy and chicken gravy, there are dozens of different flavors and styles that pair beautifully with whatever dish you end up making.
Here are 15 recipes for homemade gravy sauce, some you’ll find familiar and comforting, others you’ll find exotic and tantalizing. There are two general ways to thicken the gravy, wheat flour or corn starch. The differences while hot are nominal, the cornstarch-based gravies thin out when cooled, while wheat flour gravies tend to keep their texture.
1. Traditional Beef Gravy
Traditional beef gravy can be made from the drippings off a roast or beef stock/beef bouillon. It is one of the simplest to make due to the fact that the ingredients are readily available. Best paired with mashed potatoes or over egg foo young.
Ingredients
- 1 cup beef broth, roast drippings (if not enough, add enough water to make 1 cup), or prepared beef bouillon (beef bouillon and 1 cup water, dissolved)
- 1 teaspoon flour or cornstarch, plus 1 tablespoon water
- Salt and pepper to taste
1. Heat beef broth, roast drippings, or prepared beef bouillon on a stove over medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle boil.
2. Mix flour or cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water, and add slurry to pot. Mix and allow to thicken.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.