Gravy out of thin air?
Husband roasted a turkey breast on the grill last night. He did not use a drip pan (!!??) to catch the drippings and we are left gravy-less. It wasn't such a big deal last night, but now with the leftovers, I am craving an open-faced turkey sandwich, smothered in gravy. Can I make gravy without drippings or will I be forced to buy some at Boston Market?
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14 Comments:
If you have chicken stock just use that. Make a roux, add the stock, and season it with whatever you seasoned the turkey with.
tapioca at 3:20PM on 10/19/09
Get some jarred soup base. MInor's and Custom Foods are common, and if you have a GFS nearby they have a house brand. Read the label, the meat first ingredient bases are better tasting than the Vegetable protein versions, they look like meat paste. Make a roux, and add the soup based dissolved in hot water and you have it. You may be only able to find Chicken base and beef base, the chicken should be closer. Add herbs and spices to mask the flavor. We always keep a jar on hand for quick gravies, and and for quick stock when we do a stir fry.
Meat guy at 3:37PM on 10/19/09
I make gravy using veggie stock and thickening it with cornstarch. Season it to your liking and voila!!! Gravy...
MadelynRodriguez at 4:44PM on 10/19/09
I agree with @meatguy: Better THan Bouillon is available in some grocery stores and is an escellent brand too.
We use a similar method, but instead of diluting the base with water, we brown it right in with the butter before adding browned flour for a roux. (Browning the flour will give you a little fo the roasty flavor you are missing without any drippings) Proceed with adding water (or half water, half milk if you like a creamy gravy) until you reach desired thickness.
The base goes a long way and can be salty...start with a little you can always add a little more! (And a little bacon grease with the butter never hurt anything: a little more smoky roasty flavor)
Cary at 4:46PM on 10/19/09
Swooning at the bacon grease addition! Thank you all for fixing my craving!
Alas, I have to wait until tomorrow night for my gravy fix. Salmon for dinner tonight. Can't have the same thing twice in a row!
sarajane at 5:04PM on 10/19/09
Great suggestions (although I shy away from Bouillon's saltiness). I like to add dry vermouth and lemon to gravy - either from scratch or doctored from a starter.
finewinendine at 7:46PM on 10/19/09
I give this a 99.99% satisfaction guarantee. .01 off for being time consuming.
Chop up an onion, carrot and celery. cook in a sauce pot until darkened, but not burnt. Deglaze with a splash of white wine. Cook until nearly dry. Add in a dollop of tomato paste and cook until paste is browned. Toss in some chicken stock (and if you have it, 1/2 as much veal stock as chicken stock). Throw in some turkey bones, a bay leaf, and a little parsley.
Reduce by half. Strain out all of the solids. Make a slurry of flour and cold water and use that to thicken.
phenoderr at 1:24AM on 10/20/09
Do you have any of the turkey skin left? You can render some fat off the skin to add to the flavor of whichever gravy method you chose to use. Plus, leftover poultry skin is never as good it is the first day (unless you go out of your way to crisp it back up).
Amandarama at 7:32AM on 10/20/09
It's not often that you see gravy and thin in the same sentence.
smallkitchen at 7:56AM on 10/20/09
i think it's time you consider a divorce.
ha! ;)
gastronomeg at 11:53AM on 10/20/09
Anyone else dreaming of some magical land where gravy does in fact appear out of mid-air?
BananaMonkey at 12:57PM on 10/20/09
I would do what "tapioca" said, only I would add some essential oils of sage and thyme, maybe even some mountain savory. You don't want to add a full drop though or you won't be able to eat it (it would be too spicy). You would want to take a toothpick (or three actually) and dip it into the essential oil, and just drop in in the gravy when you are done cooking it and let it sit for a few minutes (don't use a colored toothpick). The oils will give it a far more hearty, and full flavor. Be sure to use Therapeutic Grade oils though, like from Young Living . Other essential oils are not approved for food use. (See Aromatherapy Labeling Fraud for details.
Happy Cooking!
Master Herbalist at 3:26PM on 10/20/09
I'm with the Meat Guy. (roux, base, herbs)
Let the roux toast a bit to deepen the flavor of the gravy. Add a drizzle of bead molasses, deepends the color and helps enrich the flavor too.
Or make a white wine-cream or bachamel based mushroom sauce instead.
It's handy to keep some cup sized containers of stock in the freezer just for moments like this.
CJ McD at 4:03PM on 10/20/09
I use Moosewood's mushroom gravy (you'll find it with the shepherd's pie recipie here: http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/recipes_archive.html#49
It's very rich, almost beefy tasting, even when made with white buttons. Bacon fat sounds like a terrific addition.
lemonfair at 4:53PM on 10/20/09