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.
What Is Gravy?
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Gravy is a sauce made by thickening meat-based stocks and/or the drippings from roasts with a roux made from flour and some kind of fat (often butter, though you could use oil or the fat collected from the roast itself).
If youre a student of French cooking, this description may have just turned on a lightbulb above your head. Isnt that the same thing as a velouté, one of the five mother sauces of classic French cooking? Indeed it is, albeit a darker, richer one—velouté is traditionally made by thickening a light stock, such as white chicken stock or fish stock made with un-roasted bones, with a roux. Gravy, on the other hand, includes the darker drippings of a roast.
If you didnt make this connection, then, well, surprise! Your all-American Thanksgiving is hella French.
How to Fix Gravy That’s Too Thin
Your ratio of flour to liquid is a little light on the flour, and you need to remedy that. You have some choices for doing this.
How do you fix runny sausage gravy?
FAQ
What’s the best gravy thickener?
How do chefs thicken gravy?
How do you fix a runny gravy?
Luckily, most gravy problems are fixable. If your gravy is runny, you can let it cook longer or add a roux or slurry to thicken it up. With lumpy or thick gravy, you can use a whisk or strainer to remove chunks or add some more fluid to increase your gravy’s runniness.
How do you thicken gravy if it’s runny?
If your gravy is runny, you can simmer it longer to thicken, but if it’s go time and the gravy still looks watery, there’s a faster fix: Whisk in a spoonful (and up to ½ cup) instant potato flakes. It might sound like a joke to add potato to a sauce for mashed potatoes, but this truly is an easy way to give gravy a velvety texture
How do you fix a Lumpy Gravy?
With lumpy or thick gravy, you can use a whisk or strainer to remove chunks or add some more fluid to increase your gravy’s runniness. If your gravy is a little on the bland side, add some more stock, a sprinkle of salt, or a splash of fortified wine. Finally, you can fix salty gravy by adding some sugar, butter, vinegar, or more stock.
How do you fix Bland gravy?
Fortunately, Shannon has several suggestions for fixing bland gravy, starting by adding a bouillon cube, herbs or a splash of wine or cognac. But if you have time to spare, add pan drippings from turkey, bacon or bacon drippings, caramelized vegetables (like onions, leeks, carrots and celery), herbs or garlic.