Recipe(tried): Homemade Gravy (can be made ahead)

HOME-MADE GRAVY

Make a roux (pronounced "roo") by combining equal amounts of flour and butter, oil, or shortening and cooking it over medium
heat in a skillet until well blended. (You can also use pan drippings instead of butter, oil or shortening.)

(Each tablespoon of roux will thicken approximately 1 cup of hot gravy, sauce, or soup.)

The color of your gravy depends upon a couple things you can do during this first step. One way to get the darker deep-colored
gravy is to brown the flour in the skillet BEFORE adding the oil or shortening. You will want to brown the flour somewhat when making turkey gravy. (It will lighten when you add milk.)

If you are using the gravy with beef, use some of your beef drippings. You can also fry some bacon and use those drippings. Include some of the meat left in the drippings to enhance the
flavor of your gravy.

Once your roux is ready, whisk the roux into hot broth or pan drippings and simmer until thickened and the starchy taste cooks
out.

You can also add your broth to the pan in which you made the roux; however, add it slowly and stir continuously until all the broth is added.

If you want the thick country-style gravy such as is used on biscuits, add milk to the roux instead of broth. Remember, however, the milk will lighten the color of the gravy.

If you are wanting to include mushrooms in your gravy, saute your mushrooms before adding them to the gravy. Add them after adding the broth, however, if you do not want the mushrooms to
be broken while whisking or stirring the broth into the roux.

If you want to make your gravy even darker, you can add a pinch of beef bouillon or instant coffee. Also, if your gravy becomes too
thin after adding the liquid, thicken it using left-over mashed potatoes or instant mashed potato flakes.

Add salt and pepper to taste. ENJOY!

[Note: When re-heating gravy that was thickened using flour, I recommend using the top of the stove, not the microwave. The microwave process can sometimes make the gravy separate.]