Best Ever Gravy Food

COUNTRY GRAVY

Steps:

• After removing cooked meat from skillet or pan, add oil to drippings in skillet. Stir in flour, scraping up brown particles. Cook over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is light golden brown.
• Stir in milk. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is boiling and thickened. If gravy is too thick, stir in more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency. Stir in salt and pepper.

GET-AHEAD GRAVY

Steps:

• GET AHEAD
• 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
• 2. Peel the onions, wash the carrots, then roughly chop with the celery and bacon. Put the veg, bay leaves, sage, rosemary and star anise into a sturdy high-sided roasting tray, then scatter the chopped bacon on top.
• 3. Break the chicken wings open, bash with a rolling pin to help release extra flavour as they cook, then add to the tray. Drizzle with oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, toss, then cook for 1 hour, or until tender.
• 4. Remove the tray from the oven and transfer to a low heat on the hob. Really grind and mash everything with a potato masher, scraping up all the goodness from the base of the tray (the longer you let it fry, the darker your gravy will be). If you want to add sherry or port, now's the time to do so; just leave it to cook away for a few minutes.
• 5. Gradually stir in the flour, then pour in 2 litres of boiling kettle water. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
• 6. When the gravy is the consistency of your liking, pour it through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, pushing all the goodness through with the back of a spoon. Taste and season to perfection, cool to room temperature, then pour into containers or bags and pop into the fridge or freezer, ready to finish off on Christmas Day. ON THE DAY
• 1. If frozen, take the gravy out to defrost when your turkey goes into the oven.
• 2. When the turkey's perfectly cooked, remove it to a platter to rest for up to 2 hours, covered with a double layer of tin foil and a clean tea towel. Skim away most of the fat from the tray, cool, and place into a jar in the fridge for tasty cooking another day.
• 3. Pour your Get-ahead gravy into the tray with the rest of the turkey juices. Bring to the boil over the hob and scrape up all those sticky bits from the base. Have a taste, then stir in the Cranberry sauce to balance the flavours.
• 4. Once your gravy is piping hot, carefully strain through a coarse sieve into a pan, then leave it on the lowest heat until you're ready to serve. Skim away any fat that rises to the top, and add any extra resting juices from the turkey before serving.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Strain pan drippings through a fine-mesh sieve; discard solids and reserve 2 1/2 cups pan drippings; set aside. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and thyme until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in reserved pan drippings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

PERFECT ROAST TURKEY WITH BEST-EVER GRAVY

Steps:

• Position a rack in the lowest position of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Reserve the turkey neck and giblets to use in gravy or stock. Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat the turkey skin dry. Turn the turkey on its breast. Loosely fill the neck cavity with stuffing. Using a thin wooden or metal skewer, pin the neck skin to the back. Fold the turkey's wings akimbo behind the back or tie to the body with kitchen string. Loosely fill the large body cavity with stuffing. Place any remaining stuffing in a lightly buttered casserole, cover and refrigerate to bake as a side dish. Place the drumsticks in the hock lock or tie together with kitchen string.
• Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Rub all over with the softened butter. Season with salt and pepper. Tightly cover the breast area with aluminum foil. Pour 2 cups of the turkey stock into the bottom of the pan.
• Roast the turkey, basting all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan (lift up the foil to reach the breast area), until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh (but not touching the bone) reads 180 degrees and the stuffing is at least 160 degrees, about 4 1/2 hours. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten them, about 1 1/2 cups at a time. Remove the foil during the last hour to allow the skin to brown.
• Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter and let it stand for at least 20 minutes before carving. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Drizzle 1/2 cup turkey stock over the stuffing in the casserole, cover, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour the drippings from the roasting pan into a heatproof glass bowl or large measuring cup. Let stand for 5 minutes, then skim off and reserve the clear yellow fat that has risen to the top. Measure 3/4 cup fat, adding melted butter if needed. Add enough turkey stock to the skimmed drippings to make 8 cups total.
• Place the roasting pan on two stove burners over low heat and add the turkey fat. Whisk in the flour, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the turkey stock and the optional bourbon. Cook, whisking often, until the gravy has thickened and no trace of raw flour remains, about 5 minutes. Transfer the gravy to a warmed gravy boat. Carve the turkey and serve the gravy and the stuffing alongside

BEST-EVER VEGAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat oil in medium pot and saute mushrooms until soft.
• Add in the flour, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper and stir until the vegan gravy becomes thick.
• Add in the water a little bit at a time until all of the water is combined with the other ingredients.
• Serve immediately!

BEST GRAVY EVER

Steps:

• Remove the Good Eats Roast Turkey from the roasting pan and set aside to rest. Leave the drippings from the turkey in the pan and place the roasting pan over medium heat. Add the broth and wine at the same time. Whisk to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan until all of the bits have come loose. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes in order to reduce the mixture slightly.
• Transfer the liquid to a fat separator and let sit for 5 minutes to allow fat to separate. Return 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the fat to the roasting pan and place over medium-high heat. Discard any remaining fat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture starts to thicken and become smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Once this happens, gradually add the liquid back to the pan and whisk until smooth and you have reached your desired consistency, 5 to 6 minutes. Remember, your gravy should be slightly thin in the pan as it will thicken once you serve it. Add the herbs and whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

EASY BISCUITS & GRAVY

Steps:

• In a large, heavy-bottomed (I use cast iron) skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage, crumbling it up into small bits. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked sausage to a bowl, leaving behind the grease and any brown bits that stuck to the skillet.
• Add flour and combine, cook until flour smell dissipates and is slightly brown.
• When the roux turns brown, slowly add in the milk, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Add the salt, nutmeg, cayenne, and pepper and continue to mix well.
• Remove from heat and stir in the cooked sausage. If the mixture is too thick you can whisk in some more milk.
• Serve immediately over freshly baked hot biscuits.

BEST EVER SAUSAGE GRAVY AND BISCUITS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven according to the directions on the package for the biscuits or on the directions for your homemade biscuits.
• Either spray your cooking sheet with your favorite cooking spray or place a silicone mat on top of your baking sheet.
• Add a little bit of oil into your skillet and preheat your skillet on medium.
• When your skillet is ready to go, add in the sausage.
• As soon as the oven is ready, place the biscuits in the oven and set the timer accordingly.
• Cook the sausage until the meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees and until the pork is no longer pink.
• Once the biscuits are golden brown and done, remove them from the oven, and set them aside.
• When the sausage is thoroughly cooked, add the butter and mix together thoroughly.
• Next add the flour and stir the ingredients together and let the mixture cook for two minutes while stirring continuously.
• Then add in the reminder of the ingredients as well as the milk and whisk all of the ingredients together until everything is thoroughly combined.
• Bring to a boil and then lower the temperature to medium low. Whisk constantly for two minutes. As your are whisking the gravy, the gravy will start to thicken. Then remove from the heat.
• You can either serve up individually by slicing a biscuit in half, adding it to a plate and ladling on a big scoop of the delicious sausage gravy, or you can let everyone serve themselves. Enjoy!

THE BEST CHICKEN GRAVY EVER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200°C. First job is to bash the chicken wings with a rolling pin - You need to break the bones to allow the flavours out (Mind your fingers!) Then place all the wings, veg and herbs in a metal roasting tin (You will be putting this tin on your hob later). Season with salt & black pepper, then toss with the olive oil. Finally lay your bacon over the top & place in the oven and roast for 1 hour. The meat should be tender and falling off the bone.
• Take your pan out of the oven, place it over low heat and use a potato masher to grind everything (make sure you scrape all the bits goodness from the bottom of the pan).
• To thicken your gravy, stir in the flour and continue to cook for a while (2-3 minutes or so to allow the flour to "cook out"). NB. The longer you let everything fry, the darker your gravy will be. When the flour is combined, pour in the 2L of hot water mixed with the stock cubes & port/sherry. Now increase the heat to high and bring to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Finally, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Now strain off through a sieve all of the gravy in to a new clean pan. TIP: Squeeze/press all of the last bits of juice from the sieve with the back of a spoon. Keep warm until ready for serving...Or
• ...If you have frozen your gravy take it out to defrost while you cook the chicken (see Amazing Roast Chicken). When the chicken is cooked, strain any juices from the bird into its roasting tin and then add your pre-made gravy to the same tin. Bring to the boil, making sure you get any "tasty" bits up again.
• Now strain off one last time in to a pan and then let it simmer until you are ready to serve, skimming off any excess fat while you're waiting.

BEST GRAVY EVER

Steps:

• Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and set aside to rest. Leave the drippings from the turkey in the pan and place the roasting pan over medium heat. Add the broth and wine at the same time. Whisk to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan until all of the bits have come loose. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes in order to reduce the mixture slightly. Transfer the liquid to a fat separator and let sit for 5 minutes to allow fat to separate. Return 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the fat to the roasting pan and place over medium-high heat. Discard any remaining fat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture starts to thicken and become smooth, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Once this happens, gradually add the liquid back to the pan and whisk until smooth and you have reached your desired consistency, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Remember, your gravy should be slightly thin in the pan as it will thicken once you serve it. Add the herbs and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• 2 to 3 days before roasting:
• Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
• Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
• Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:
• Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
• Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
• Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 151 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.