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Well, good gravy needs either fat or oil or butter or something to cook the flour in when making the roux to make flour. Since you admittedly can't cook, I would suggest going to your nearest grocery and buying a package of dry gravy mix and following the package directions. Typically you add either a cup or two of water or milk, stir or whisk until smooth, bring to gentle boil and cook it for a couple of minutes. It will taste like what you might get in a restaurant - over your mashed potatoes or something - and will serve the purpose BUT it will not actually be what I would term gravy - real, homemade, delicious, fattening, yummy gravy.
But if a person really tries, he/she can wreck instant gravy, too!
It's not a bad idea, though- although I think it's a little too salty.
I always tell people: tell me what kind of gravy you eat, and I can tell where you're from.
After you fry or bake chicken, put the drippings into a frying pan.
On low heat, stir in a couple tablespoons of flour. Stir while cooking, for 6-7 minutes.
Depending on your taste, slowly add either one cup of water, one cup of milk, or half a cup of each.
Turn heat to low-medium, and cook until it is the thickness you want.
Drawing from memory, I found this in a Southern Living cookbook decades ago, and it's the only kind I like.
Roux is, by definition, a mixture of fat and flour.
After stirring in the flour let the roux (that's what it's called) bubble for at least three minutes, preferably a bit more. While it's cooking heat the liquid almost to boiling. When the roux is ready add the liquid all at once. This prevents lumps from forming. Whisk briskly to blend.
I believe that Snagglepuss will agree with me. This is Julia Child's method; it never fails. It works for gravy as well as bechamel sauce. When making poultry gravy I use stock rather than water or milk. If you need to add more liquid it's not necessary to heat it and you may add it a bit at a time.
After stirring in the flour let the roux (that's what it's called) bubble for at least three minutes, preferably a bit more. While it's cooking heat the liquid almost to boiling. When the roux is ready add the liquid all at once. This prevents lumps from forming. Whisk briskly to blend.
I believe that Snagglepuss will agree with me. This is Julia Child's method; it never fails. It works for gravy as well as bechamel sauce. When making poultry gravy I use stock rather than water or milk. If you need to add more liquid it's not necessary to heat it and you may add it a bit at a time.
I knew roux as the base known as white sauce. Generally uses butter instead of meat drippings.
...I believe that Snagglepuss will agree with me...
And it's really good even.
When I'm not sure how much roux I'll need, I just add a tablespoon of roux at a time by whisking it in a small bowl with some of the sauce/gravy, then add that into the gravy/sauce until I get the proper consistency.
I make a cheater gravy with chicken broth. I open a can and dump all but 1/3 cup into a pan. Add some ground pepper and a BEEF bullion cube. Has to be beef. Heat till boiling, stir to blend the bullion cube.
Meanwhile, in the reserved broth, put in 2 Tbs of all purpose flour, whisk till smooth. Pour that into the boiling broth, whisking all the time to prevent lumps. Let it cook till thickened.
Standard proportions for gravy are one tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of fat for each cup of liquid.
Fat can be pan drippings, butter, margarine, oil, etc.
Cook the fat and flour until the raw flour smell is gone, then whisk in the liquid slowly to avoid creating lumps (mini dumplings.) Liquid can be water, broth, pan juices, wine, milk, beer, or cooking water from potatoes or vegetables; potato water will thicken more as it will have starches from the potatoes in it.
Gravy can be strained or left with pan scrapings. Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet will darken gravy and add a little richness. Don't forget the salt and pepper.
Roux is, by definition, a mixture of fat and flour.
After stirring in the flour let the roux (that's what it's called) bubble for at least three minutes, preferably a bit more. While it's cooking heat the liquid almost to boiling. When the roux is ready add the liquid all at once. This prevents lumps from forming. Whisk briskly to blend.
I believe that Snagglepuss will agree with me. This is Julia Child's method; it never fails. It works for gravy as well as bechamel sauce. When making poultry gravy I use stock rather than water or milk. If you need to add more liquid it's not necessary to heat it and you may add it a bit at a time.
Standard proportions for gravy are one tablespoon of flour and one tablespoon of fat for each cup of liquid.
Fat can be pan drippings, butter, margarine, oil, etc.
Cook the fat and flour until the raw flour smell is gone, then whisk in the liquid slowly to avoid creating lumps (mini dumplings.) Liquid can be water, broth, pan juices, wine, milk, beer, or cooking water from potatoes or vegetables; potato water will thicken more as it will have starches from the potatoes in it.
Gravy can be strained or left with pan scrapings. Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet will darken gravy and add a little richness. Don't forget the salt and pepper.
Not any kind of oil? Wow. That kind of blows my mind. I don't think I could cook without at least olive oil or coconut oil. They both sit right by the stove because they're used so frequently that there's no point in putting them away. LOL
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