Kitchen Tip: How to Make Gravy From Scratch
Tips, video and photography provided by Heinen’s partner, Chef Billy Parisi.
From preparing for the holidays to saucing up steak, chicken, or a bone-in pork chop, gravy is a fantastic way to enhance the flavor of of a protein.
While you can certainly buy premade gravy from the store, making gravy from scratch is actually surprisingly simple! Discover the tips, tricks, and ingredients below.
Step 1: Make a Roux
A roux is a thickening agent that helps give gravy the consistency we know and love.
A roux starts with equal weighted parts of butter (or any kind of fat) and flour. The roux in this video calls for 4 tablespoons of Heinen’s butter and 6 tablespoons of flour.
Add the butter to a medium-size saucepot over low heat and once melted, whisk in the flour until completely combined. This is known as a white roux, which is perfect if you’re adding milk or a light-colored chicken stock. For a true brown gravy color, it’s important to cook the roux until it becomes a dark blonde color.
Step 2: Thicken the Gravy
After 4-5 minutes of cooking over low heat, add 4 cups of Heinen’s chicken stock and whisk until combined. If you plan to serve this gravy over a steak, use beef stock instead of chicken stock.
Once combined, bring the liquid to a boil. This will activate the roux and allow the gravy to thicken.
Step 3: Season the Gravy
Once the gravy is thick, add some flavor with seasonings. This gravy uses 1 teaspoon of Heinen’s garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of Heinen’s onion powder, 1 tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
Whisk all of this together and you’ll have beautiful chicken gravy that will go perfectly with chicken, pork, or holiday turkey!
