Photo: Sang An
In my family everyone has their annual Thanksgiving cooking assignments. My father-in-law roasts the turkey, my mother-in-law mixes up the cocktails, and my job is to make the gravy. With holiday must-haves like cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, gravy, and dinner rolls, there is no shortage of things to prepare.
What dish do you cook for Thanksgiving?
Photo: Romulo A. Yanes
Gravy. It’s the lubricant that makes overcooked turkey palatable, and perfectly cooked turkey that much better. It’s the magical liquid that anoints and unites the potluck of sides from various family and friends that get squished together on your plate.
The fact that the best gravy can only be made after the turkey is removed from the oven, during the 30 or so most stressful minutes of the whole day, when all the accompaniments must be heated and readied for their finishing touches, adds to the angst often associated with this beloved liquid.
But it needn’t be a nerve-racking process. The two best and easiest ways I know to make it involve flour in the form of a roux (a cooked mixture of fat and flour), or a slurry (a smooth mixture of flour and water). A roux-based gravy is made in a saucepan. The slurry-style gravy is made in the roasting pan. Both methods require a large liquid measure. Continue reading
