The Perfect Gravy Magic – With Or Without Pan Juices!

Mashed potatoes call out for gravy! Making homemade gravy is becoming a lost art. Why put up with lumpy, runny, or flavorless gravy when tasty gravies are ready-made and waiting for you at the grocery store! Because homemade is so much better! Make your own gravy from your own roasted meats. You know the drill. Skim off fat, or chill it so the fat can be spooned off, or stir in an ice cube to room temp pan juices, and some of the fat will adhere to the ice cube when you remove it. If you are lucky, you might have one of those special measuring cups that removes the fat as you poor. Easy enough, right? Now comes the fun part that will make your gravy perfect. Add enough beef or chicken stock to make the amount of gravy you need. For each 2-cups of juices and/or stock add ½ cup milk. Salt and pepper to taste. Here comes the magic! Heat the juices and stock to a low boil, whisking often. Place a small strainer right in the saucepan. Juices will flow into the strainer. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into the strainer in the juices and whisk briskly. The cornstarch almost dissolves into the juices by itself! For every cup and a half of liquid you need one-tablespoon cornstarch. Add it one tablespoon at a time. You may get some lumps in your strainer but just keep allowing a bit more liquid at a time to seep into your strainer and keep whisking. Once the cornstarch is whisked in turn up the heat a bit on your pan and whisk continually as your gravy thickens. There you go – lump-free gravy right in your pan.  Cornstarch will give your gravy a nice gloss as apposed to flour, though flour works exactly the same. If you want fat-free gravy, or want to make your gravy ahead to save time, use a combination of beef and chicken stock and milk. Season with a bit of sage and thyme, salt and pepper and follow with the same steps described above for pan gravy. It works! If you make your gravy ahead and it thickens a bit too much while in the refrigerator just add a bit of stock or milk a few tablespoons at a time as you reheat your gravy until it is just how you like it!