Some Things You Might Not Know About Gravy.

[Rudge]

Gravy is a simple thing but it's applications are enormous.

The simple part is that gravy is a thickened roux.

A roux is just 1/2 fat (of almost any source) and 1/2 all purpose flower, cooked in any vessel while stirring with a whisk.

2 tbs of each is plenty for a small usable amount but up to 4 or 5,, actually any amount will work. Keep in mind that you are going to wind up with about 70 times the amount of gravy as the original roux.

A gravy is created when thickened by adding a liquid of almost any source.

I think the most versatile gravy is made when milk is the liquid of choice.

Once thickened (with milk) -

Add American cheese, some cayenne pepper and some salt to make that white "Tex Mex" cheese sauce.

Add sautéed onions, celery and red potatoes to make a basic chowder. (You can add almost anything to this and call it "whatever you want" chowder)

Add cheddar cheese and you have made the "Cheese" in Macaroni & Cheese.

Add sugar, an egg and some vanilla flavoring and you just made a custard. Pour this over some bananas and "Nilla Wafers" and you just made a "home made banana pudding".

Of course you can always just add some spicy sausage and have a great biscuit gravy.

The basic gravy that you create when doing this with milk is the same gravy that you would get over a "County Fried Steak" too.

Making this same gravy with wine, beef or chicken stock instead of milk, opens up a whole different world of things to do with gravy.            

  

[Neal ManBear]

Gravy! The universal sauce!      

[chilly]

Thank's Rudge,i copied and pasted it.

[Bald Brick]

And to get technical:

If you brown the flour in the fat before adding stock you get a Sauce brune. The longer you let it simmer, the better.
If you add sliced or chopped onions while browning the flour you get a Sauce à l'oignon.
If you brown the flour just slightly you get a Sauce blonde.
If you don't brown it at all and use light-coloured stock (often fish stock) you get a Sauce velouté.
If you use milk instead of stock and finish it off with a liberal amount of cream, you get a Sauce béchamel.
If you add onion purée to your béchamel you end up with Sauce Soubise. (Historically it should be thickened with rice.)
If you add tomatoes (and, perhaps, some red wine) to the brown sauce you get a Sauce espagnole. (You should preferably use veal stock and reduce it very slowly.)
If you add white wine and thick cream to the velouté you get a Sauce vin blanc.

And so on. Then we have the thousands of sauces that can't be called gravy.

[YouCanToo]

Here is a question for all you gravy experts.  When would you use a roux made gravy over a slurry or a corn starch gravy?

[Bald Brick]

Here is a question for all you gravy experts.  When would you use a roux made gravy over a slurry or a corn starch gravy?

When I'm not in a hurry....

Edit: Particularly the brown gravies (sauce brune and derivatives) have to simmer for several hours if they are to be any good. The light-coloured ones don't need as much simmering unless the flour is all too coarsly ground, but using corn starch or potato starch or arrowroot is faster still. You can get an appropriately smooth texture in a matter of seconds.
 

[Rudge]

Corn starch thickens to a clear, tasteless consistency. I have used it to thicken stews, just to get the right consistency but it doesn't bring any taste to the party. 

[Bald Brick]

You are right as always, Rudge. Starting out with a roux is always preferable.

(And if you are in a hurry and have to use almost pure starch, arrowroot is often a slightly better alternative than corn starch.)

[YouCanToo]

A slurry is an alternative to using a roux as a thickener.  There are several reasons to use a slurry over a roux.  Most slurries thicken quickly, present no lumps, and do not add flavor or fat.  Simply put a slurry is a mixture of a starch and small amount of cold water (or wine, stock, etc.).  The slurry is then added to a recipe as a thickening agent.  There are several starches available on the market, but there are three starches commonly used in slurries - cornstarch, arrowroot and tapioca.  Each has its advantages and its weaknesses. Additionally, flour can be made into a slurry, but it is most commonly used as part of a roux.


Arrowroot (my personal favorite)

    Doesn't require high heat or cooking to thicken.  Great for temperature sensitive dishes like egg sauces or custards.
    Has a neutral taste.  Great for delicate or subtle flavored dishes, as it adds no discernable flavor.
    Doesn't turn opaque as it thickens.  Great to thicken clear sauces.
    Doesn't lose it's potency when mixed with sugary liquids.  Great for fruit sauces.
    Doesn't lose it's potency when mixed with acidic liquids.
    An arrowroot thickened sauce isn't affected by freezing.
    Doesn't lose it's potency with prolonged cooking, or aggressive stirring, but can loosen at high heat.
    Gives a sauce a high gloss.  It's a good choice for dessert sauces, but meat sauces can look a bit fake.
    Is gluten free.
    Do not use to thicken dairy based sauces.  Arrowroot becomes slimy when mixed with milk products.

     

Tapioca Starch  (tapioca flour, cassava flour, yucca starch) Note: this is ground tapioca not pearl tapioca

    Thickens quickly and at low heat making it perfect for correcting sauces right before serving.
    A tapioca thickened sauce isn't affected by freezing.
    Gives a sauce a high gloss.  It's a good choice for dessert sauces, but meat sauces can look a bit fake.
    Doesn't lose it's potency when mixed with sugary liquids.  Great for fruit sauces.
    Doesn't lose it's potency when mixed with acidic liquids.
    Doesn't lose it's potency with prolonged cooking, aggressive stirring, or high heat.
    Is nearly flavorless making it a good second choice (arrowroot is the best choice) for delicately flavored sauces.
    Is gluten free.

     

Cornstarch

    Best choice for dairy based sauces.  Does not interact adversely with milk like arrowroot.
    Gives sauces a low gloss instead of the high gloss of arrowroot and tapioca.
    Cornstarch becomes spongy and breaks down when frozen making it a poor choice for thickening dishes bound for the freezer.
    Loses it's potency when mixed with sugary liquids.  Not a good choice for fruit sauces.
    Loses it's potency when mixed with acidic liquids.
    Must be simmered, and stirred for one minute to activate thickening.
    Loses it's potency with prolonged cooking, aggressive stirring, or high heat.
    Has a distinctive flavor.  Not good choice for delicately flavored sauces.
    Can be persnickety if too much cornstarch is used.  If sauce isn't coming together try adding more liquid.
    Is gluten free.
    Is not permissible for Passover (like other grain based thickeners).

     

Potato Starch (Potato Flour, Katakuriko)

    A good choice for dairy based sauces.  Does not interact adversely with milk like arrowroot.
    Gives sauces a low gloss instead of the high gloss of arrowroot and tapioca.
    Should never be boiled, making it a good thickener for yogurt based sauces & soup.
    Is gluten free.
    Is permissible for Passover.


Flour

    Has a distinctive flavor, not a good choice for delicately flavored sauces.
    Must be cooked for a long time at a higher temperature to thicken, and remove the raw flour taste.
    An option for dairy based sauces.  Does not interact adversely with milk like arrowroot.
    Gives sauces a low gloss instead of the high gloss of arrowroot and tapioca.
    Turns sauces opaque.
    Freezes just fine.
    Is not permissible for Passover (like other grain based thickeners).
    It contains gluten.

[Bald Brick]

You said it all, YouCanToo!

Almost.

You forgot Beurre manié, a mixture of equal parts butter and flour. If you need just a little bit of thickening it's a good idea. (No lumps!) If you use lots of it you and your guests will taste the uncooked flour.

[weirdwolf]

Sauciers abound!

[YouCanToo]

You said it all, YouCanToo!

Almost.

You forgot Beurre manié, a mixture of equal parts butter and flour. If you need just a little bit of thickening it's a good idea. (No lumps!) If you use lots of it you and your guests will taste the uncooked flour.

Thanks for pointing it out!

By definition: A roux is a mixture of equal parts (by weight) fat and flour that is used for thickening sauces and soups. Clarified butter is the type of fat most frequently used.

A beurre manié is indeed made from equal parts of fat and flour, the big difference is that a beurre manié is not cooked. A beurre manié is mashed in a bowl with a fork until it forms a smooth paste.

Julia Child's said that a beurre manié is a lazy way of thickening. One should cook the flour and butter first to "cook out the flour taste" in one of her shows.