gravy

[RAHiggins1]

Does anyone have a tried and true recipe for a good milk gravy like the gravy that is one gets from fried chicken?  I haven't seen it covered in the eGCI. 

The gravies I've made do look like milk gravy but tend to be flavorless and who wants to put that on a good batch of homemade mashed potatoes?

Should I "cheat" and throw in some chicken bullion or broth to help give it flavor?

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I heavily season the flour I am frying the chicken in and use some of the leftover to make the roux for the gravy. pout off some of the oil so that you have about half a cup left in the pan, add a half cup of the chicken breading and let cook 2-3 mins. do not let it darken past what I would call a blonde roux. I then stir in cold milk a half cup at at time while whisking heavily to prevent any lumps. i add milk and let it thicken before adding more milk until its the consistency I like. Then I check seasoning.

[onrushpam]

I heavily season the flour I am frying the chicken in and use some of the leftover to make the roux for the gravy. pout off some of the oil so that you have about half a cup left in the pan, add a half cup of the chicken breading and let cook 2-3 mins. do not let it darken past what I would call a blonde roux. I then stir in cold milk a half cup at at time while whisking heavily to prevent any lumps. i add milk and let it thicken before adding more milk until its the consistency I like. Then I check seasoning.

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That's about how I do it, too.

Sometimes, if use part stock and part cream or half-and-half instead of milk.

I also mix some Wondra with the breading.

[prasantrin]

There are people that can answer a lot better -- but here goes

It is a texture thing.  It doesn't completely separate but does separate.  When it freezes you can even look at the top of it and it appears "fluffy".  Texture maybe similar to freezing wine.  You can freeze wine, but the alcohol keeps the wine from freezing solid so it's still kindof slushy and off.

I'm sure you could bring pull it back together and make it work.  But if you want to make it ahead, why wouldn't you just make and freeze the meatballs ahead and then make your gravy the day of service?

Rhonda

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I'd only be serving me! It's a bit of a hassle to make gravy for one every time I want a few meatballs, so I was hoping to be able to be able to pull out what I need, nuke it, and eat. I'm lazy that way.

I think I might be able to cope with "fluffy", so I may try a batch and see how it goes. Then if it sucks, I'll either skip the gravy whenever I eat it, or make a small batch. Thanks!

[Kim Shook]

Can a roux-based gravy be frozen and successfully reheated?  I've been reading conflicting opinions.  My plan is to make Swedish meatballs with gravy (no cream), and then freeze most of it (IQF-type of freezing).  When reheating portions of gravy, I'll add some cream for a bit of richness.

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Rona - I make my Christmas turkey gravy ahead of time and freeze it every year. There is no way that I am making the amount of gravy we need at the last minute. I use turkey wings and sometimes make it as early as Thanksgiving. It needs a bit of thinning out when I thaw it, but I've never noticed any degrading of flavor or texture. Here are some notes about how I do it. I don't fool myself that I am a truly accomplished cook, but I am proud of my gravy - I have worked on the recipe for about 30 years and it's pretty durn good.