As soon as the roast is done cooking, we remove it to a cutting board to rest. While the roast is resting, we place the roasting pan and all of the drippings it contains on the stovetop and start making the gravy. We’ll use either cornstarch or flour to thicken the gravy, the process is similar for both.
Cornstarch Versus Flour for Gravy
What’s the difference between using cornstarch or flour to make your gravy? Cornstarch does have more thickening power than wheat flour (because it’s pure starch, while flour has some protein in it). So usually you need a little less cornstarch than flour for the equivalent thickening power. That said, we are using equal amounts for either flour or cornstarch in this method because we vary the amount of liquid we add and we reduce the gravy by simmering it, to get to the desired thickness. Cornstarch also has this property that if you cook it in the gravy too long, it will lose its thickening power and the gravy will become thin again. It will also lose some thickness if refrigerated and reheated. If that happens, you’ll have to add more cornstarch slurry and heat the gravy to thicken it up again. If you use flour, you’ll want to brown the flour a bit in the fat before adding liquid. Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You’re basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.
How Much Flour or Cornstarch to Use to Make Gravy
Follow this ratio. For each cup of gravy you want, start with 2 tablespoons of drippings and fat, and 2 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch. (This will produce a rich and thick gravy. If you would like a thinner gravy, either start with one tablespoon each of drippings and starch, or add more liquid to thin the gravy.) So, if you want to make 2 cups of gravy, remove all but 4 tablespoons of fat and drippings from the roasting pan (set aside for future use). These instructions will yield about 2 cups of gravy, but you can easily divide or multiply to adjust for how much gravy you want to make. Freeze any unused drippings for future shortcut gravy when you’re serving things like mashed potatoes or meatloaf.
How Long Can Gravy Be Refrigerated?
Store gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, place in a pot over medium heat on the stove and cook, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a full rolling boil.
Lumpy Gravy? Here’s a Fix!
If you end up with lumps in the gravy, puree it with an immersion blender right in the pan. Or transfer it to a blender or food processor. Alternately, run it through a strainer and leave the lumps behind.
Making Gravy in a Skillet or Saucepan
This recipe calls for making the gravy directly in a roasting pan, but if your pan won’t fit on the stove or is too shallow to make gravy, you can make it in a skillet or saucepan. Remove the roast from the pan. Pour the drippings into a measuring cup and transfer 4 tablespoons of the fat in the saucepan or skillet you’ll be using for the gravy (reserve the extra fat and juices). Then, scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the roasting pan with a metal spatula and transfer them to the skillet or saucepan. Don’t skip this part. Those brown bits will bring a lot of flavor to the gravy. Finish they gravy by following the directions in Step 3 and beyond for either flour or cornstarch. Don’t forget to add the savory pan juices to your gravy for an extra flavor boost.
More Recipes Begging for Gravy!
Mom’s Roast Turkey Roast Chicken With Carrots Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes Hot Turkey Sandwich Turkey Meatloaf
The “drippings” are browned juices and fat. All of the flavor a gravy you make from the drippings comes from those browned bits. You need fat as a base for the gravy. If you have pan juices, but they haven’t browned at the bottom of the pan after the roast is done, you can put the empty pan back in the oven. Set the temp to 450°F or 500°F and cook until the juices evaporate and begin to bubble and brown at the bottom of the pan. In this approach to making gravy, we break up the drippings as well as we can with a whisk but don’t worry about any browned bits in the gravy itself. If you want, you can pulse the gravy in a blender to make it smoother, but we never bother. The browned bits are the best part! If you are using a roasting pan that won’t work well on the stovetop, scrape up all of the drippings and fat and put into a large shallow sauté pan. (You can also start with a slurry of flour and water—equal amounts flour and cold water whisked together—if you want.) Allow the gravy to simmer and thicken, continuing to slowly add liquid until you have about 2 cups of gravy. (You’ll probably need to add 3 to 4 cups of liquid.) If you are using a roasting pan that won’t work well on the stovetop, scrape up all of the drippings and fat and put into a large shallow sauté pan. Alternate stirring and adding liquid, maintaining the consistency you want, for several minutes (about 5 minutes). You will probably add about 3 to 4 cups of liquid all together. Taking into consideration the evaporation that is occurring while the gravy is simmering, you will end up with about 2 cups of gravy. If the gravy isn’t thick enough, make more cornstarch slurry and whisk it into the pan.
