Gravy

[billd766]

How can I make gravy without Bisto, Oxo cubes, gravy granules etc?

I live waaay up in the boonies and my nearest supermarket is Big C in Nakhon Sawan 125km away.

[sbk]

billd, you can make a simple gravy from a white sauce.

Saute some minced onions in butter (not alot mind!) then add flour, enough to form a ball of butter and flour. Then, on very low heat, slowly add milk, stirring all the while. Add enough to make it of gravy thickness and then let it simmer on very low heat, adding more milk as needed. If you can get the beef bouillon cubes from your local supermarket, add half of one into it and stir in until dissolved.

Not bad, but make sure you let it simmer a bit or it will taste floury.

[cathyy]

The best way to make gravy is with pan drippings or broth. You can thicken with flour or with cornstarch. To a half-cup of water or milk add 2 TBSP (30 grams?) flour or 1 TBSP cornstarch and shake/stir until no lumps are left. Slowly add to about 1 and a half to 2 cups of simmering pan drippings or broth, stirring constantly. Simmer a few more minutes to get rid of the raw taste of the flour or cornstarch. Using flour makes an opaque gravy, using cornstarch makes a translucent gravy. In smaller proportions this is how you thicken wok juice in a stir-fry to make a nice sauce.

Of course, if you have no pan drippings or broth, best to make milk gravy like SBK suggested.

[thaigerd]

billd, you can make a simple gravy from a white sauce.

Saute some minced onions in butter (not alot mind!) then add flour, enough to form a ball of butter and flour. Then, on very low heat, slowly add milk, stirring all the while. Add enough to make it of gravy thickness and then let it simmer on very low heat, adding more milk as needed. If you can get the beef bouillon cubes from your local supermarket, add half of one into it and stir in until dissolved.

Not bad, but make sure you let it simmer a bit or it will taste floury.

Milk has nothing to do with gravy, sorry

(Chef) Gerd

[wilko]

Pan drippings definitely if available if not a stock cube (Knorr - I think they do beef) from local shop. Although it's probably best to mix flour into the warm fats in a pan, you can instead make a suspension of the flour in cool water and after adding fresh water to the fats and bringing to boil, take off the boil and gradually pour and stir in the cold water/flour mix. This is good for thickening anything that is too runny.

You can of course add anything you want to the hot fat - onion, garlic herbs etc and then pour in and reducce some red wine (if it's beef). Remember with wine you must bring it to boil to boil off the alcohol.

Remember to keep any water used for cooking veggies and use that intstead of fresh water.

I personally don't like cornflour as it makes a very "shiny" gravy.

TOPS ofetn stock Bisto gravy powder, not granules, in their display of farang foods

Edited August 31, 2006 by wilko

[wilko]

Why do people think you should put milk in gravy???

[KRNN]

billd, you can make a simple gravy from a white sauce.

Saute some minced onions in butter (not alot mind!) then add flour, enough to form a ball of butter and flour. Then, on very low heat, slowly add milk, stirring all the while. Add enough to make it of gravy thickness and then let it simmer on very low heat, adding more milk as needed. If you can get the beef bouillon cubes from your local supermarket, add half of one into it and stir in until dissolved.

Not bad, but make sure you let it simmer a bit or it will taste floury.

Milk has nothing to do with gravy, sorry

(Chef) Gerd

Yep, was wondering about that too.

It wouldn't be gravy with milk like that, thouhg, I think.

I used to make one when I was in the jungle camping. It was not bad, but I'm not sure you'd like to do it like me, though.

I used half Knorr cube, you can find one even in the small grocery store near you.

Use about 250 ml of water, about a glass, that is, boil it and drop that cube in wait until it all dissolved. Then put the heat of, now you got stock.

In another fry pan, few drops of olive oil in your pan then add 2-3 crushed onions and 2-3 crushed garlics, the whole clove of garlic. Wait until they're a little brown then add a little stock, about 50 ml.

Now this is the funny part, do you have chicken? Some kind of grilled chicken you can find on stall anywhere in fresh market.

Chop that chicken into small pieces then put everything in that fry pan with your onions and garlics.

Add a little stock you made, about 100 ml. and stir. Let them simmer up really nice.

Then use some flat object, I use the bottom of my small pot, to crushed everything in that pan.

And after all are well crushed, you let them simmer slowly. Add some salt and pepper if you want.

Leave it on the stove and mix the other 100 ml. of stock you have left with 2 tablespoon of corn flour and mix them together nicely.

Take out all the chicken pieces and onions and garlic then add this corn flour stock in your pan.

Work them up really nice and simmer a little more.

Now you got jungle gravy...

I hope this helps. And I must say my friends love my jungle gravy.

[thaigerd]

Why do people think you should put milk in gravy???

Thanks,

I've asked the same question before.

You're a Chef(like me) ?

Gerd

[Farma]

Is the milk gravy that tasteless white stuff the yanks have with biscuits for breakfast?

[wilko]

Why do people think you should put milk in gravy???

Thanks,

I've asked the same question before.

You're a Chef(like me) ?

Gerd

No just a f***ing good amateur cook - modest too!

[billd766]

Thanks everybody for the information.

I can cook well enough to keep me happy but my wife dors most of the cooking.

Sometimes I just get the hankering for ..........

I have a shoulder of lamb in the freezer and a convection roaster which I last used 3 years ago but there is only me that would eat lamb.

[TokyoT]

Have to chime in a bit about milk in gravy. Not a chef by any stretch of the imagination but growing up I had breakfast gravy (made with milk) pretty much every weekend. On the rare occasion I can find some decent American spiced sausage here in BKK I will actually make a bit myself.

Probably not the type of gravy the OP was thinking about though.

As for it being tasteless – I guess who ever cooked it for you forgot to add any spice. I tend to add quite a bit of black pepper and chili powder when cooking – in addition to the spicy sausage.

[sbk]

Picky aren't you people? You are assuming the OP has access to pan drippings in the first place. Having lived on a little island that didn't have access to much of anything until fairly recently I have learned to make do with what is available. Sounds to me like the OP doesn't have alot available and this is a simple solution.

[Tywais]

Have to chime in a bit about milk in gravy. Not a chef by any stretch of the imagination but growing up I had breakfast gravy (made with milk) pretty much every weekend. On the rare occasion I can find some decent American spiced sausage here in BKK I will actually make a bit myself.

Probably not the type of gravy the OP was thinking about though.

As for it being tasteless – I guess who ever cooked it for you forgot to add any spice. I tend to add quite a bit of black pepper and chili powder when cooking – in addition to the spicy sausage.

I have to agree with you. I grew up in the south (Texas - US) and had southern fried chicken with chicken gravy regularly (also deep fried pork and pork gravy). Guess I'm not clear on what you mean by 'pan drippings' but I assumed it was what was left in the pan after frying the chicken/pork.

After frying and removing the chicken/pork add a couple of tablespoons of floor, some salt, black pepper (cajun if desire spicy) to the drippings/grease (a few tablespoons), stir until a paste. Add a couple of cups of "milk" (buttermilk even better) and simmer until thickens (individual preference). Usually then put on top of mashed potatoes and/or biscuits. I'm not a chef either but I know what I like and it is far from 'tasteless'.

This type of gravy has been used by countless thousands for generations so something must be right with using milk. However I concede that the British concept of gravy and the Americans are not the same.

Edited August 31, 2006 by tywais

[Farma]

I make my gravy the same as you tywais but with water instead of milk. It does taste nice.

Unfortunately the times I've encountered the white gravy served with biscuits was in mess halls and the taste left a lot to be desired.

[sbk]

farma, mess hall "food" isn't food. My dad still reminisces fondly of his airforce days: SOS he called it. sh!t on a shingle was the colloquial meaning

[Tywais]

I make my gravy the same as you tywais but with water instead of milk. It does taste nice.

The milk gives it a richer texture and taste.

Unfortunately the times I've encountered the white gravy served with biscuits was in mess halls and the taste left a lot to be desired.

Yeah, I remember that stuff too, SOS also pretty bad.

[Tywais]

farma, mess hall "food" isn't food. My dad still reminisces fondly of his airforce days: SOS he called it. sh!t on a shingle was the colloquial meaning

I'm ex-airforce too, and agree 100%.

[cathyy]

*sigh* What we Yanks call milk gravy is just a variation on what you snobbier chefs call a white sauce when you make it with butter instead of pan drippings. White sauce is the base for an endless variety of other things. Add grated cheese and you have a cheese sauce to make real baked macaroni and cheese. Brown the flour-butter mixture (you chefs call it a roux) in a pan until it is a deep brown before you add the milk and you have the beginning of almost every Cajun or Creole recipe. It also gives ordinary milk gravy a richer color and flavor if you brown the roux. Careful not to burn it! It takes close attention.

If you have had milk gravy and hated it you have had bad milk gravy. Chefs use cream to thicken sauces and gravies and get a similar flavor as milk gravy. It's all in the seasoning used, and that depends on what else you are cooking.

The locally available cubes for soup make a good broth that will make fine gravy, and would be preferred if they are available. SBK's suggestion to make milk gravy was a sound solution to the problem of limited resources.

As for sausage gravy, that should be quite spicy, and made with the pan drippings from browning the sausage. You can't make it properly with link sausage, you need bulk sausage. The gravy should have a distinct flavor of the sausage. If not, you just had bad milk gravy with some sausage thrown in at the last minute.

[thaigerd]

*sigh* What we Yanks call milk gravy is just a variation on what you snobbier chefs call a white sauce when you make it with butter instead of pan drippings. White sauce is the base for an endless variety of other things. Add grated cheese and you have a cheese sauce to make real baked macaroni and cheese. Brown the flour-butter mixture (you chefs call it a roux) in a pan until it is a deep brown before you add the milk and you have the beginning of almost every Cajun or Creole recipe. It also gives ordinary milk gravy a richer color and flavor if you brown the roux. Careful not to burn it! It takes close attention.

If you have had milk gravy and hated it you have had bad milk gravy. Chefs use cream to thicken sauces and gravies and get a similar flavor as milk gravy. It's all in the seasoning used, and that depends on what else you are cooking.

The locally available cubes for soup make a good broth that will make fine gravy, and would be preferred if they are available. SBK's suggestion to make milk gravy was a sound solution to the problem of limited resources.

As for sausage gravy, that should be quite spicy, and made with the pan drippings from browning the sausage. You can't make it properly with link sausage, you need bulk sausage. The gravy should have a distinct flavor of the sausage. If not, you just had bad milk gravy with some sausage thrown in at the last minute.

I am one of these "snobier Chefs"

Your above mentioned recipe looks ok for me I only can't agree with the name "gravy" for it, sorry.

A white basic sauce we call "veloute" only brown sauces from meat/bones are called "gravy", that's the way we've learned it.

But I still remember when I was "a bit younger " my mother used to make this browned flour gravy for sausages or meals where you can't cook any special gravy out of it.

My first posting was not intended to hurt sbk's feelings about her recipe.

Enjoy your dinner tonight!

Gerd

[sbk]

No hurt feelings, just trying to point out that the OP has said he is in an area where his resources are very limited. Giving him a recipe for such a place was all I had in mind. My experience with making do with what is available has given me some insight into how improvise quite successfully.

[RamdomChances]

Thanks everybody for the information.

I can cook well enough to keep me happy but my wife dors most of the cooking.

Sometimes I just get the hankering for ..........

I have a shoulder of lamb in the freezer and a convection roaster which I last used 3 years ago but there is only me that would eat lamb.

I was nearly going to come up tomorrow...but I'm not Should be soon, put that leg of lamb on hold I'll teach you to make gravy at the same time

British gravey does'nt have milk, don't know what you do in the States. In the UK it's usually served with a roast, using the meat juces and water from the boiled veg.

Here's mine roast the meat in a pan or tin. Put in a little bit of water and cover with foil.

About half hour before you recon the meat is done, take it out of the oven, remove the foil and drain the juices into something.

If your having roast potato's par boil them for about ten min. Keep the water. I usually boil (only a little bit) the rest of the veg in the same water. When the meat is finnished, poor some of the veg water in the pan and de-glaze, add this to the previously kept juices, (I usually skim the fat of then as I use cornflour to thicken).

Put all the juices in a saucepan, stir and season then mix a couple of table spoons of corn flour with cold water, add this and bring to the boil while stiring vigorously. Add more water or corn flour to get the desired, quantity/thickness.

You can make a rue with flour and fat but I find the cornflour way easier.

[solent01]

Thanks everybody for the information.

I can cook well enough to keep me happy but my wife dors most of the cooking.

Sometimes I just get the hankering for ..........

I have a shoulder of lamb in the freezer and a convection roaster which I last used 3 years ago but there is only me that would eat lamb.

I was nearly going to come up tomorrow...but I'm not Should be soon, put that leg of lamb on hold I'll teach you to make gravy at the same time

British gravey does'nt have milk, don't know what you do in the States. In the UK it's usually served with a roast, using the meat juces and water from the boiled veg.

Here's mine roast the meat in a pan or tin. Put in a little bit of water and cover with foil.

About half hour before you recon the meat is done, take it out of the oven, remove the foil and drain the juices into something.

If your having roast potato's par boil them for about ten min. Keep the water. I usually boil (only a little bit) the rest of the veg in the same water. When the meat is finnished, poor some of the veg water in the pan and de-glaze, add this to the previously kept juices, (I usually skim the fat of then as I use cornflour to thicken).

Put all the juices in a saucepan, stir and season then mix a couple of table spoons of corn flour with cold water, add this and bring to the boil while stiring vigorously. Add more water or corn flour to get the desired, quantity/thickness.

You can make a rue with flour and fat but I find the cornflour way easier.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm............................

This is the only way in my books, I'm a Brit too so I guess I'm picky, mind you Ramdom, I guess some of these here haven't got an oven so they have to make do with the pan, the only way to get propper dripping (meat fat and juice) is from the oven.

Sol.

Edited August 31, 2006 by solent01

[lampard10]

Next time you are in town, buy a large box of Knorr Demi-brown Sauce. It is delisa..deliciu..delos....very tasty. I even used to take a couple of boxes back home to UK with me.

[RamdomChances]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm............................

This is the only way in my books, I'm a Brit too so I guess I'm picky, mind you Ramdom, I guess some of these here haven't got an oven so they have to make do with the pan, the only way to get propper dripping (meat fat and juice) is from the oven.

Sol.

You can pick a gas oven up for as littlte as about 5000bhat, I think I paid about that for mine, temp controls not that good though, other than that if you want to cook a joint of meat you could try braising it, should get good gravy that way as well.

[wilko]

Picky aren't you people? You are assuming the OP has access to pan drippings in the first place. Having lived on a little island that didn't have access to much of anything until fairly recently I have learned to make do with what is available. Sounds to me like the OP doesn't have alot available and this is a simple solution.

No I'm not! I recommend a stock and veggie water if no dripping available.

In normal cooking cicles the white gravy you descibe would be referred to as a basic roux sauce - it is the basis for sauces such as cheese, parsley onion, bread etc etc....

[KhunDennis]

Carefull now, you are stepping on hallowed ground when you start being critical of SOS, it has sustained GIs for generations. I was in the Air Force also, and still have fond memories of it. Except when they made it from left over sandwich cold cuts, yuk not a pretty sight. To fellow lovers of SOS, they make a really good one at the Texas Lone Staar, in Washington Square, Bangkok. A couple of fried eggs on the top and a side of home fried potatoes, now were talking!!!

[wilko]

Carefull now, you are stepping on hallowed ground when you start being critical of SOS, it has sustained GIs for generations. I was in the Air Force also, and still have fond memories of it. Except when they made it from left over sandwich cold cuts, yuk not a pretty sight. To fellow lovers of SOS, they make a really good one at the Texas Lone Staar, in Washington Square, Bangkok. A couple of fried eggs on the top and a side of home fried potatoes, now were talking!!!

Are you suggesting then that if we remove this stuff from the menu the GIs will stop turning up all over the world in places where they're not wanted? We might be on to something here!

[KhunDennis]

I am sure they would much rather be munching on thier sos in a safe and comfortable chow hall back home, rather than the places they are sent to. Don't blame them for the lame brained government, it is a sad situation all way around.

[Buckwheat]

As sad as a political opinion on a food thread?