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How to Make Gravy from Scratch

Because you know you should!  Learn how to make gravy from scratch with pan drippings (or butter) with this quick and easy recipe.

Ingredients:

    • pan drippings from roasted chicken/turkey or 1/4 cup butter
    • 1/4 c flour
    • 2 c chicken stock or broth
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Pour pan drippings into a 2 cup measuring cup.
  2. Scrap the browned bits the cup.
  3. Skim and reserve fat from drippings.
  4. Pour 1/4 cup of the fat into a medium saucepan. If you don’t have 1/4 cup fat, add enough butter to equal 1/4 cup.
  5. Set over medium heat.
  6. Whisk in flour. Continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking constantly.
  7. Add stock or broth to the  drippings in the measuring cup to equal 2 cups.
  8. Slowly whisk in stock mixture until fully incorporated.
  9. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until thickened and bubbly,
  10. Cook and stir 1 minute more.
  11. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  12. Correct color with Kitchen Boquet

    Servings: 8 – 2 cups
    Source:  Allrecipes Test Kitchen, modifications GK.

    Notes:  

    1. The longer you cook the flour, the more toasted it becomes. The more toasted your flour is the thinner your gravy will be and the more of a rich nutty flavor you will get.
    2. Add any flavor, fat, or liquid you want to. This recipe is all about the ratio of fat to flour to liquid.
    3. If you’d like a bolder flavor, you can season the gravy however you like. Our experts suggest lemon pepper, poultry seasoning, garlic, rosemary, or thyme.

     

    Italian Peas

     Make frozen peas fabulous.
     
    Ingredients:

    • 2 Tab olive oil/butter
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 16 ounces frozen green peas
    • 1 Tab  chicken stock
    • salt and ground black pepper to taste

    Directions:

    1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
    2. Stir in onion.
    3. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
    4. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
    5. Add frozen peas.
    6. Stir in stock.
    7. Season with salt and pepper.
    8. Cover and cook until the peas are tender, about 5 minutes.

    Serves:  6
    Source:   Allrecipies

    Comment from TTV78
    I loved everything about this recipe, except for the cooking of the frozen peas. I recommend putting your frozen peas into a bowl of cold water to thaw for about 20 minutes, drain well, then add to the onion/garlic saute mixture for just a couple minutes to heat through. This way, you’ll avoid the wrinkly and mushy look of overcooked frozen peas, and the peas will stay a vibrant green color. The flavor of this dish is great and is a nice change from the same old blah peas. Thanks for sharing the recipe! 🙂

    Alternative Directions:

    1. Any time that day, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
    2. Stir in onion.
    3. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
    4. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
    5. transfer to casserole.
    6. add peas, frozen or defrosted.
    7. When time to eat, microwave until hot.

     

     

    Pinot Onion Tomato Soup

    I made a really good soup for lunch.  I used tomatoes I found in the freezer (past their prime for BLT), some Pinot Braised Onions, also in the freezer  (caramelized onions with a shot of pinot) and a pinch of sugar (because – you know- tomatoes) . I had to add about a cup of marinara because it was too thick (fork thick) and then served with a dollop of sour cream.  Ended up almost tomato stew.

    Ingredients:  Measurments are flexible

    • 1 c Pinot Braised Onions
    • 3 c diced tomatoes (best if fresh/frozen but ok canned)
    • 1 c Marinara Sauce (from a jar)
    • 1 Tab sugar

    Directions:

    1. Make the onions the day/week before.
    2. Place the onions, tomatoes and sugar in a large pot.
    3. Simmer for about 45 minutes, stir when you think of it.
    4. Check for flavor – does it need salt? garlic?
    5. Check for consistancy – probably needs the Marinara, but does it need some of the juice from the can?  Your choice – soopy or stewy.

    Serves:  4 lunch, 2 dinner

    Source:  Cleaning out the freezer

     

    Pinot Braised Onions

    Ingredients:

    • 3 large sweet onions cut into slivers (about 6 cups)
    • 2 Tab olive oil
    • 1 Tab butter
    • 1 1/2 c pinot noir
    • 1 Tab sugar
    • 1 tsp grated orange rind
    • 1 small cinnamon stick

    Directions:

    1. In a 10-12 inch skillet, on lowest heat, saute the onions, stirring often (About 30 minutes – don’t let them brown).
    2. Add the pinot noir, sugar, orange rind, and cinnamon stick.
    3. Continue to cook on low heat until all the liquid is gone and the onion are very soft – about 30 minutes.
    4. Salt and pepper to taste.

    Serves:  Makes abut 3 cups.
    Source:  Annett Martin

    Baked Caramelized Onions

    Ingredients:

    • 5 # yellow (brown-skin) onions
    • ¼ c vegetable oil
    • 1 Tab salt

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 400°.
    2. Cut off the stem and root ends of the onions, then halve then lengthwise, and peel away the dried brown skin.
    3. Cut the onions into 1/4-inch slices. It is important to have all the onion slices roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
    4. Place all the onion slices in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven (I like to spray the inside of my pot with non-stick vegetable spray).
    5. At this point, your pot will be full of sliced onions, but the onions will wilt and shrink dramatically during the cooking process.
    6. Toss the sliced onions with the vegetable oil and salt to help draw out the moisture and to keep them from sticking to the pot.
    7. Cover the pot and place in the preheated oven.
    8. Set your timer for 15 minutes.
    9. After 15 minutes, open the oven, remove the lid, and the stir the onions well (scrape all sides of the pot and make sure you get all the bits and pieces – stir the onions well).
    10. Cover with lid and return to the oven.
    11. Repeat this 15 minutes process for approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
    12. Watch the onions shrink and the color change to a reddish-brown.
    13. After you reach the 2-hour point, your onions will have almost no water left and will have darkened and taste sweet. NOTE: If you feel you have too much water left in the pot, place the pot back in the oven with no lid for an additional 15 minutes to evaporate the excess water.
      Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or they can be frozen for up to 3 months.

    Serves: Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups.
    Source: What’s Cooking America

    Notes:

    Do you love how they never give a consistant measurment of quantity/weight when it comes to vegetables and fruit.

    Onions: 1 medium onion = 1/2 cup chopped, 1 # onions = 4-5 medium, 3# bag frozen chopped onions = 12 cups

    Tomatoes:   1# = 3-4 medium, 1# diced = 2 1/4 c, tomatoes, canned 35oz = 4 cups undrained, 28oz drained = 3 cups,

    Here is what you need to know:

    Make the Pinot Braised Onions using either method of cooking. Use any onions you want, even frozen.  Set aside 1 cup of the cooked onions for the soup. Save or freeze the rest to have with beef, chicken, greenbeans, spinach, potatoes – whatever.  If you leave out the little bit of butter, they will be dairy free.  They are delicious!

    Tomatoes are another story.  You can do it with fresh, but you need to peel them.  If you freeeze them the skin slips right off under hot water.  (Toss any extra, not-so-good tomatoes in the freezer – as is skin and all) And canned would be just fine, but drain them, saving the juice in case you need it to thin the soup at the end.

    Marinara Sauce comes in jars or cans – really!

    And everyone with a grandmother who cooked will tell you to add sugar to tomatoes – every time!

     

    Quick BBQ Sauce

    For a basic barbecue sauce, all you have to do is whisk together ketchup, light brown sugar, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika.  Google bbq and you will find more than you ever wanted to know!  Some say there are five kinds, some say four kinds of sauce.   Some believe barbecue is only sauces, other include dry rubs.  Below are some suggested “variations on a theme” to change the basic sauce.  There is even one that substituted wine for the vinegar.  

    Ingredients: 

    • 3/4 c ketchup
    • 2 Tab light-brown sugar
    • 1 Tab white-wine vinegar
    • 1 Tab Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 tsp paprika
    • 1/4 to 1/2 tap cayenne
    • pepper, (optional)

    Directions:

    Whisk together.

    Source:  marthastewart.com

    There are five types of BBQ sauce, and their base ingredients define them.

    Tomato Based BBQ Sauce – They are often sweet and compliment meats cooked in a sugary rub. Ex: Kansas City BBQ Sauce, St. Louis BBQ Sauce, Texas Style BBQ Sauce, Memphis style BBQ sauce.  Add-ins: crushed tomatoes, lots of brown sugar (The average serving contains 14 grams of sugar.), molasses, smoked paprika, black pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, yellow/ground mustard.
    Vinegar Based BBQ Sauce – Vinegar based sauces are astringent and strong. Ex: North Carolina Style BBQ Sauce (no tomato), Piedmont/Lexington BBQ Sauce (contains some ketchup but is still vinegar based).
    Mustard Based BBQ Sauce – Mustard based barbecue sauce is tangy and peppery  (little sugar, no tomato). Ex: Carolina Gold aka South Carolina style BBQ sauce.
    Mayonnaise Based BBQ Sauce – This sauce is creamy with a horseradish kick which compliments smoked poultry (no tomato – maybe). Ex: Alabama white sauce.
    Worcestershire Based BBQ Sauce – Served with Kentucky style mutton, Worcestershire BBQ sauce is astringent, sweet, and bold. Ex: Kentucky BBQ sauce.

     

    Cheesy Peas

    What a great variation on peas.  So easy!  We used English peas because they were in season but frozen works just fine – go for the baby peas.

    Ingredients:

    • 4 big handfuls of fresh or frozen peas  (How big is your hand?!)
    • olive oil
    • 1 small handful of Parmesan cheese ,
    • freshly grated
    • 1 lemon
    • ground white pepper

    Directions:

    1. Boil the peas until perfect, then remove from the heat and drain in
      a colander, saving a small cup of the cooking water.
    2. Put the peas back in the pan with some of the reserved water.
    3. Add a splash of olive oil.
    4. Stir around.
    5. Then sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese.
    6. Stir again until every single pea is lightly coated in the sweet, delicately melted cheese. You may need to add a bit more water to loosen the peas – you want them to be oozy (almost like a risotto consistency).
    7. A small squeeze of lemon juice always lifts the peas and cuts through the cheese.
    8. A sprinkle of white pepper is nice too.

    “This dish is best made quickly at the very last minute as, like a risotto, the moment those peas begin to cool down, things start getting a little claggy and rubbery and you definitely don’t want that.”

    Serves: 4

    Source:  Cook with Jamie, Jamie Oliver