My mom's gravy always had lumps until I watched a chef on TV

For years, our Thanksgiving gravy was a bit of a joke. My mom would make a roux with flour and pan drippings, then dump in cold stock all at once. It always clumped up, and we'd have to strain it through a sieve. I just thought that was how gravy was. Then, about five years ago, I was watching a cooking show and saw the chef warm the stock in a separate pot before slowly whisking it into the roux. I tried it the next holiday, and it was a total game changer. The gravy came out smooth as silk, no lumps at all. It's such a simple fix, but it changed the whole meal. Now I'm the one in charge of gravy duty. Has anyone else picked up a small tip that fixed a long-running family kitchen problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannah_wright2d ago

That warm stock trick is a total lifesaver for sure. Funny enough, I learned a slightly different fix from my grandma (who hated washing a sieve). She'd just mix the flour with a little cold water into a smooth paste first, before adding it to the hot drippings. Then you can add the stock at any temp and it never lumps up. Both ways get you to that smooth gravy finish line, which is all that matters.

mark7232d ago

That cold water paste trick from your grandma, @hannah_wright, is pure genius.

uma_webb2821h ago

Ugh why does gravy always turn into lumpy glue? I swear I ruined three batches last Thanksgiving before I gave up and used a jar. Does anyone have a trick for when you accidentally dump the flour straight into the pan? That's usually my fatal mistake.