pan juices

Teri

properly -

here are some basic gravy tips that i've learned from trial and error

1. it takes about 1.5 tablespoons of flour to thicken 1 cup of liquid. 2. IMO a roux thickened gravy tastes better than other thickeners (roux is equal parts fat and flour) when making the roux from pan drippings, try to ensure that there is no or very little water component to the drippings. a gravy seperator works well for this. if there is water in the fat component when your start the roux, the flour will clump. if there is only fat, the result will be smooth. once all of the flour is well coated and cooked-toasted, you can add the liquid-ju willy nilly and it won't clump. it may require some stirring to smooth. 3. it's better to cook the roux for several minutes to toast the flour. (be sure to stir constantly and coat all of the flour with fat) this removes the raw flour taste and adds considerable flavor depending on how long you cook the roux. just don't burn it. burnt roux is ruined. a roux thickened gravy-sauce must be brought to a boil to obtain the maximum thickening capacity 4. it takes about 2 teaspoons of corn starch to thicken 1 cup of liquid ( a slurry of corn starch and water in a 2:1 ratio works well.) 5. corn starch thickened gravies-sauces aren't quite as durable as flour gravies. all thickeners lose thickening power the more you cook them. 6. arrowroot is also a popular thickener, IMO there's really no reason to use it unless you have issues with flour or corn starch