Brown Gravy Recipe - No Drippings Needed! (2024)

FAQs

Can you make gravy with just flour and water? ›

(You can also start with a slurry of flour and water—equal amounts flour and cold water whisked together—if you want.) Whisk the gravy while slowly adding liquid: Slowly add stock, water, milk, cream, or a combination to the pan, whisking vigorously to dissolve the flour into liquid.

And while the flavors in a stock can enhance the flavors of whatever you are cooking in it, water also takes up those flavors. That's how stock works to begin with. If you don't have stock, just use water.

Making a roux with flour and butter “boosts flavor and gives the gravy a silky texture and rich flavor,” she says. Flour also gives the gravy a traditional opaque look, she adds, whereas cornstarch will make the gravy shiny and clear.

If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.

Add Herbs. Try thyme, sage, chopped parsley, a teeny bit of tarragon, and some chives. When using fresh herbs, add them toward the end of cooking. Lemon verbena, lavender, rosemary, basil, and mint for simple syrups.

It turns out, the biggest difference between the two is brown gravy is broth-based, while white gravy typically has a milk or cream base. Garcia said both types usually have flour or cornstarch for thickening and they both contain some sort of “fat or meat drippings.”

A traditional roux uses roughly an equal amount of flour and fat, but gravies often call for a bit more flour than that, to ensure the gravy is thick enough. (The classic ratio for gravy is three:two:one, so 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons fat, and 1 cup of hot stock.)

The liquid needs to be very hot before thickening the gravy with flour. Combine ½ cup cold water and ½ cup flour in a container with a tight-fitting lid and shake to mix it. I find if I use cold water to mix with the flour, lumps do not form in the container.

If the gravy lacks oomph, adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If you used canned stock instead of homemade, the gravy might not be as flavorful. Homemade stock, even made with chicken stock rather than turkey, will produce a superior gravy—so it's worth the effort.

What can I substitute for a packet of brown gravy mix? ›

DIY Brown Gravy Packet Mix 2 Tablespoons equals one packet Ingredients 3 tablespoons beef (or chicken bouillon) granules 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS to make Gravy (for each batch): 4-1/2 teaspoons butter 3/4 cup cold water Directions In a small bowl, ...

In most cases, stock and broth are interchangeable. If you're in the soup aisle and can't remember whether the recipe called for stock or broth, either will do for making soup, gravy, or a flavorful pot of rice or grains. Keep in mind that stock is unseasoned, and broth is seasoned.

Great question! 🙂 Stock cubes and powder have a more intense flavour than liquid stock (broth), so they make a tastier gravy when you make gravy from scratch like in this recipe.

The ratio I use is: 1.5 tablespoons fat to 1.5 tablespoons flour to 1 cup liquid, which yields 1 cup of gravy. (Note: If you like your gravy thicker, go with 2 tablespoons of fat and 2 tablespoons of flour to 1 cup of liquid, which yields 1 cup of gravy).

Use two tablespoons flour mixed with ¼ cup cold water for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix in the water to prevent lumps. After stirring the combined flour and water into the sauce, cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Heat one minute more to cook the flour thoroughly.

How to Thicken Gravy With Flour. Similar to cornstarch, the technique to thicken gravy with flour works best if you add a little water to your flour to create a liquid-like paste or slurry (you may also use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the dry flour into the hot liquid).