How do you make 'proper' gravy?

[Detroit City]

Does not

but the flour does give gravy a flourey taste....i prefer the corn starch cause it doesn't change the flavour

 

[Cid]

whats the point behind lean gravy?

It's not really lean, it's all the caramelised brown sticky stuff... Very tasty.

 

[johnnymarrsbars]

Nah, thickening gravy does nothing for it - thin gravy is way tastier

 

[madzone]

whenever ive run out of cornflour and had to use normal stuff its always turned out nowhere near as good.

If you're trying to use it the same way you do cornflour then it won't work.

 

[madzone]

but the flour does give gravy a flourey taste....i prefer the corn starch cause it doesn't change the flavour

No it doesn't

*Wonders what all the urbanites are actually doing with the flour*

 

[tarannau]

Adding the cornflour to the simmering pan makes the final gravy makes it taste duller though. Better, if you can be arsed, to make a roux in the bottom of the gravy tin as Madzone suggests. Pour off the excess fat and then brown some flour before adding the wine, stock and/or veggie water, scraping in all the brown goodness off the bottom of the tin. That way and you get a little extra colour into the gravy, get rid of the unfinished floury taste... and also get a little headstart in cleaning the roasting tin to boot.

 

[johnnymarrsbars]

if you add the dissolved cornflour bit by bit as the gravy reduces you dont get a floury taste at all. just makes it nice n thick with no lumps at all

glug of wine for the gravy, glug of wine for me, big lick of the spoon one for the gravy, one of me, big lick of the spoon...etc

i've basically had my dinner before i've even sat down usually.

 

[Guineveretoo]

My mother taught me to make gravy by putting the pan with the fat in it (and the meat residue in those days, of course) on the hob and stir in cornflour with a flat fork, enough to absorb all the fat, but no more. Stir that around for a while to cook the flour and brown it slightly. If it doesn't brown (depends on how much meat residue there is, and what that meat is - since I am veggie, there is never enough meat residue, so I always have to do this step these days) add some gravy browning or old fashioned bisto (NOT the granules). Then add the hot vegetable water at bit at a time, stirring with the fork all the time to avoid lumps. Once it is has become smooth, you can add the rest of the vegetable water until you have a gravy to the thickness you prefer.

Done.

 

[Guineveretoo]

If you use any sort of flour, whether cornflour or wheat, you must make sure it is properly cooked, or it does taste floury. In my experience, anything other than cooking it with the fat, leaves it floury.

 

[tarannau]

Sorry fella, but even dissolved gradually it still adds a 'raw' flour taste. Far better to roast it off if you can make the extra initial effort. That's particularly true of thinner chicken gravy for me - if you're using stock cubes in a beef stock for example, you could probably disguise the unfinished cornflower taste easier.

 

[madzone]

If you use any sort of flour, whether cornflour or wheat, you must make sure it is properly cooked, or it does taste floury. In my experience, anything other than cooking it with the fat, leaves it floury.

Exactly. I think this lot of peasants are just tipping it in What with Aqua's frozen yorkshires and this lot and their packet gravy I despair, I truly do

(((((Urban's roast dinners)))))

 

[tarannau]

It's not just them though Mads. No brought up; I blame the mothers myself...

 

[Detroit City]

well us single men try to do the best we can in the kitchen

 

[johnnymarrsbars]

Sorry fella, but even dissolved gradually it still adds a 'raw' flour taste. Far better to roast it off if you can make the extra initial effort. That's particularly true of thinner chicken gravy for me - if you're using stock cubes in a beef stock for example, you could probably disguise the unfinished cornflower taste easier.

taste my gravy and say its floury, i DARE ya

 

[madzone]

It's not just them though Mads. No brought up; I blame the mothers myself...

I blame Thatcher

 

[Orang Utan]

Why put flour in in the first place? It just makes it gloopy, like Oxo/Bisto gravy

 

[tarannau]

Yep, Thatcher led to the culture of instant bistofication in our society.

No patience, no flour-based roasting application with the youth of today.

 

[madzone]

Why put flour in in the first place? It just makes it gloopy, like Oxo/Bisto gravy

Because if I wanted soup I would make soup

 

[johnnymarrsbars]

Why put flour in in the first place? It just makes it gloopy, like Oxo/Bisto gravy

nah it doesnt. like i say, a spoonful of cornfliur dissolved properly in a mug of water then put in but by bit as the gravy is bubbling just gives it an extra bit of nice thickness.


i dont think ive ever actually tried bisto gravy..but it sounds rank and i cant see the point when gravy is so easy to make anyway

 

[Orang Utan]

Because if I wanted soup I would make soup

Gravy with no flour in it isn't soup - it's decent tasty gravy

 

[Guineveretoo]

I blame Thatcher

Exactly!

 

[johnnymarrsbars]

Gravy with no flour in it isn't soup - it's decent tasty gravy

its all a matter of taste. personally yellowy thin gravy makes me heave. as i say, reminds me of school dinners or ready meals or grannys meals on wheels or something.

nice richly reduced dark thick (but not 'gloopy') gravy with a GOOD FEW gluggs of red wine in it....mmmm

 

[Guineveretoo]

nah it doesnt. like i say, a spoonful of cornfliur dissolved properly in a mug of water then put in but by bit as the gravy is bubbling just gives it an extra bit of nice thickness.


i dont think ive ever actually tried bisto gravy..but it sounds rank and i cant see the point when gravy is so easy to make anyway

But this doesn't cook the cornflour, and it will taste floury

 

[Orang Utan]

Mine's never yellow! It's usually dark brown

 

[Detroit City]

nice richly reduced dark thick (but not 'gloopy') gravy with a GOOD FEW gluggs of red wine in it....mmmm

screw the gravy man...just give me the bleedin' vino

 

[johnnymarrsbars]

But this doesn't cook the cornflour, and it will taste floury

anyone is more than welcome to try my gravy then eat yer fookin words

 

[tarannau]

Why put flour in in the first place? It just makes it gloopy, like Oxo/Bisto gravy

Pah. Oxo/Bisto isn't thick enough to begin with - it's slimy chemical nonsense that slips off the food and sits in a salty pool at the bottom of the plate.

Thin poultry gravy perhaps, but I want a thick beef gravy that adheres to the tender slices without complaint. A little dash of strong flavour should be sufficient to enhance, clinging to and glistening with the meat.

I'm not a great fan of that swampy, overthin stuff that you could eat with a spoon at the end. With chicken it makes sense - adding more moisture and flavour to an occasionally dry meat - but gravy generally should be savoured, not slopped on in huge quantities. That way and the madness of cheap bisto with chips lies...

 

[Cid]

its all a matter of taste. personally yellowy thin gravy makes me heave. as i say, reminds me of school dinners or ready meals or grannys meals on wheels or something.

nice richly reduced dark thick (but not 'gloopy') gravy with a GOOD FEW gluggs of red wine in it....mmmm

Well you've clearly never tried proper thin gravy then (it's not really that thin anyway, certainly shouldn't be watery).

 

[zora]

(((((Urban's roast dinners)))))

 

[tarannau]

anyone is more than welcome to try my gravy then eat yer fookin words

Sorry Johnny, but your mum's led you astray: you've just got to believe that folks can taste the raw cornflour in your gravy.

Making gravy is like making love to a beautiful woman. You can't just blend up a pot of white gravypaste in a mug and whap it in at the last second for best results. You need to heat and caress a beautiful roux into ecstatic abandon.