My husband, Rich, says that gravy gives life meaning and purpose—it’s one of life’s essentials. I dunno, but if it’s what the guy wants, it’s what the guy should have. Especially for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. Their stuffing and mashed potatoes call for gravy.

So let’s talk gravy (rather than turkey). Good gravy-making can be tricky for the novice, and since I know we have lots of novice cooks joining our Cook’n family, I thought I’d share some tried-and-true gravy-oriented advice and a fool-proof basic recipe.

In a humble little cook booklet my Aunt Annie had stashed away I found some sound advice for how to never fail when making gravy. Just follow these six basic steps:

1. Step 1: Heat 4 cups of turkey, chicken, or beef broth in a saucepan until hot (but not boiling).
2. Step 2: Transfer the cooked poultry or beef from the roasting pan and set it on a cutting board to rest. Remove as much grease or fat as possible from the pan using a spoon, ladle, or gravy separator. Reserve ¼ cup fat.
3. Step 3: Place the roasting pan over two burners on the stove on medium heat. Deglaze the pan by adding ½ cup water or other liquid (wine, turkey, beef, or chicken stock). Stir constantly and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits. Pour off the liquid from the roasting pan into a measuring cup or the saucepan of hot turkey broth.
4. Step 4: Add ¼ cup reserved fat to roasting pan over medium heat. Whisk in ¼ cup all-purpose flour (see NOTE, below). Cook gently, stirring constantly, until the flour loses its “raw” smell and the mixture becomes golden in color. This mixture is called a ROUX and is the basis for any good sauce or gravy. Cooking the flour enhances the thickening power of the roux and adds color and nutty flavor to the gravy.
5. Step 5: Then transfer the roux to a saucepan. Whisk in the hot broth and pan drippings and simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until thickened.
6. Step 6: Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a warmed gravy boat or serving bowl and garnish with fresh chopped sage. Other herbs and spices may suit your tastes as well; experiment with a pinch of cloves, a sprinkle of thyme, and a touch of mace.

NOTE: A terrific flour product I discovered over 40 years ago was Wondra®. Wondra® flour is the brand name of a kind of instant flour. Today, since the brand is so widespread, this name tends to reference any instant flour a recipe calls for. Instant flour is low-protein, finely ground wheat flour that has been pre-cooked and dried.

Wondra® is particularly useful for making lump-free sauces and gravies because it disperses instantly in cold liquids. It pours freely and evenly and measures the same, cup after cup, because of its controlled uniformity. Every seasoned cook on both sides of my family swears by this little gravy-making gem.

Now for our family favorite gravy recipe. You’ll never go back to those instant packets again!

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