Hi everyone. We were talking about homemade gravy in the breakfast thread. Homemade gravy is really easy once you know how. The first few times I tried to make it it came out really sad. It would be lumpy, or watery or greasy. Once it came out way too thick and was like gravy Jell-O.

Gravy is fat, flour and liquid. I use a 3-3-2 ratio for gravy. 3tbs fat, 3tbs flour and 2 cups liquid. You can use butter, bacon grease or meat drippings for the fat. For the liquid I use cream or half n half. You can use whole milk too. Technically you can use 2% milk, skim milk or water but the gravy won't be nearly as good.

Here's a basic gravy recipe.

3 tbs butter.
3 tbs flour.
2 cups cream, half n half or milk.
Salt & pepper to taste.
Melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk the flour into it and cook it 3 minutes to cook the flour. Slowly whisk in the cream making sure there aren't any lumps. Simmer it until it thickens. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Here are some tips to make silky gravy.

The most important thing is the 3-3-2 ratio. If you use bacon grease or meat drippings pour it into a cup and measure it to make sure it's 3 tbs. If you don't have 3 tbs of drippings use what you have plus enough butter to equal 3 tbs. For turkey gravy use turkey drippings, chicken gravy use chicken drippings, etc.

Use a whisk. Not a spoon. I have a silicone whisk that won't scratch the pan. Use a little larger size pot so you can whisk the gravy without splattering it all over the stove.

Sift the flour into the melted butter.

Heat the cream or milk before you add it to the gravy. Don't boil it, just heat it until it's warm.

If you do get lumps in the gravy you can just strain it with a mesh strainer.
To make red eye gravy I use 1/2 cup milk and 1 1/2 cups of black coffee.
And if you have a weirdo like my brother who loves gravy but gets grossed out if the gravy is white there's a product called kitchen bouquet that turns the gravy brown. Just add a teaspoon at a time until your gravy is brown enough. But be careful not to add too much because it has seasonings in it and you don't want your gravy over seasoned.

A good alternative I've found for wheat flour is teff flour.  https://www.bobsredmill.com/teff-flour.html

For you it has the advantage of already being brown.  For me, I believe it's a healthier substitute for white wheat.


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Normally it's 1 tablespoon fat, 1 tablespoon flour and 1 cup fluid however there is a catch. If you cook the flour just long enough to remove the flour taste but it's still white, the above ratio applies. If you brown the flour you reduce it's thickening ability and you need to reduce the amount of fluid used.

Oh my, just reading about this is driving my caloric intake to new heights. Maybe once in a while is Ok if you do not need to lose weight.

For me, I will have to pass on the gravy. Please hand me a grapefruit. 

I cheat to get smooth smooth gravy by using an immersion blender.

I cheat even more LOL    This is what I use to make biscuits and gravy    I cook up some pork sausage while everything else is heating in the oven and on the stove top   

There is definitely something to be said for convenience.