Oh pshaw, on Fri 03 Nov 2006 07:18:40p, Ward Abbott meant to say...

Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all know
how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic, classic sauce
technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy continues
to be an issue.

Most, but not all, of the technique of making a béchamel (white) sauce is
applicable, but there are other factors. Drippings vs. pan juices, knowing
the difference and how to separate them; the "browned bits" that need to be
scraped from the roasting pan, a well-seasoned stock, etc.

A béchamel does not a Thanksgiving gravy make.

Having said that, I have absolutely never had a problem making gravy for
fowl or other meats, and I don't understand the issue either. If one is a
good basic cook, it should be an easy thing to master.

--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

Cats must try to kill the curlicues of ribbon on
the finished packages.

Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all know
how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic, classic sauce
technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy continues
to be an issue.

On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 21:18:40 -0500, Ward Abbott
wrote:

Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all know
how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic, classic sauce
technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy continues
to be an issue.

I found out one year, at Dad's house, that it's good to ask questions.
I was put in charge of making the Thanksgiving gravy. The flour,
sugar, powdered sugar, and brown sugar were in identical, unmarked
Tupperware containers.

You guessed it. I kept adding and adding, and the gravy wasn't
getting any thicker. It just kept getting sweeter. Don't ask me why
some people ate it anyway. I sure as bleep didn't!

On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 21:18:40 -0500, Ward Abbott
wrote:

Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all know
how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic, classic sauce
technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy continues
to be an issue.

My turkey gravy is based on a very dark roux. Some folks can't handle
cooking with a dark roux since it won't thicken as much stock as its
lighter siblings will. Could this be part of some people's gravy
troubles?
--
modom

"Southern barbecue is a proud thoroughbred whose bloodlines are easily traced.
Texas Barbecue is a feisty mutt with a whole lot of crazy relatives."

--Robb Walsh, Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook

Ward Abbott wrote:
Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all know
how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic, classic sauce
technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy continues
to be an issue.

My MIL refuses to use flour to make gravy. She uses cornstarch and is
always too light on the salt so the gravy turns out like musilage.
Drippings? HEH the frond immediately gets hit with Palmolive and hot
water. And all the fat's gotta go, too. Sometimes I beg to make the
gravy, but she never lets me at the drippings so I have to use a white
roux to thicken whatever stock she's made with the giblets. Then she
hits it with Kitchen Bouquet because "it's too light". argh....

Going to my daughter's this year for Thanksgiving. It will be her first
time hosting for the family. And I get to make the gravy with real
drippings! /sigh of satisfaction.

Aloha!

Barb

Ward Abbott wrote:

Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all know
how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic, classic sauce
technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy continues
to be an issue.

For some peculiar and strange reasons, my former MIL put chopped hard
boiled egg in her milky turkey gravy. Thankfully, T-day happened once
only at her house (whew!), and notice that "former" is the key word!

Sky, who still shudders when recalling that episode of T-day

In article ,
Ward Abbott wrote:

Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all know
how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic, classic sauce
technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy continues
to be an issue.

It's not an issue for me... I don't make Roux'.

I use arrowroot most of the time. Perfect gravy every time. ;-)

Corn starch works too, but not quite as well.

I'm allergic to wheat.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

In article ,
Damsel in dis Dress wrote:

On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 21:18:40 -0500, Ward Abbott
wrote:

Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all know
how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic, classic sauce
technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy continues
to be an issue.

I found out one year, at Dad's house, that it's good to ask questions.
I was put in charge of making the Thanksgiving gravy. The flour,
sugar, powdered sugar, and brown sugar were in identical, unmarked
Tupperware containers.

You guessed it. I kept adding and adding, and the gravy wasn't
getting any thicker. It just kept getting sweeter. Don't ask me why
some people ate it anyway. I sure as bleep didn't!

That's funny! ;-D Thanks for sharing that!
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

In article 9,
Wayne Boatwright wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com wrote:

Oh pshaw, on Fri 03 Nov 2006 07:18:40p, Ward Abbott meant to say...

Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all know
how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic, classic sauce
technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy continues
to be an issue.

Most, but not all, of the technique of making a béchamel (white) sauce is
applicable, but there are other factors. Drippings vs. pan juices, knowing
the difference and how to separate them; the "browned bits" that need to be
scraped from the roasting pan, a well-seasoned stock, etc.

A béchamel does not a Thanksgiving gravy make.

Having said that, I have absolutely never had a problem making gravy for
fowl or other meats, and I don't understand the issue either. If one is a
good basic cook, it should be an easy thing to master.

I imagine the main issue is incorrectly made roux' that makes a lumpy
gravy? I dunno, it never happened to mom, nor me.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 21:14:45 -0600, Omelet
wrote:

In article ,
Damsel in dis Dress wrote:

I found out one year, at Dad's house, that it's good to ask questions.
I was put in charge of making the Thanksgiving gravy. The flour,
sugar, powdered sugar, and brown sugar were in identical, unmarked
Tupperware containers.

You guessed it. I kept adding and adding, and the gravy wasn't
getting any thicker. It just kept getting sweeter. Don't ask me why
some people ate it anyway. I sure as bleep didn't!

That's funny! ;-D Thanks for sharing that!

Always happy to humiliate myself for you, Om! Heehee!

In article ,
Damsel in dis Dress wrote:

On Fri, 03 Nov 2006 21:14:45 -0600, Omelet
wrote:

In article ,
Damsel in dis Dress wrote:

I found out one year, at Dad's house, that it's good to ask questions.
I was put in charge of making the Thanksgiving gravy. The flour,
sugar, powdered sugar, and brown sugar were in identical, unmarked
Tupperware containers.

You guessed it. I kept adding and adding, and the gravy wasn't
getting any thicker. It just kept getting sweeter. Don't ask me why
some people ate it anyway. I sure as bleep didn't!

That's funny! ;-D Thanks for sharing that!

Always happy to humiliate myself for you, Om! Heehee!

snicker

Unmarked containers hardly makes it your fault. ;-)
If nothing else, we'll use a sharpy on the jar lids!
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

Oh pshaw, on Fri 03 Nov 2006 08:16:03p, Omelet meant to say...

In article 9,
Wayne Boatwright wayneboatwright_at_gmail.com wrote:

Oh pshaw, on Fri 03 Nov 2006 07:18:40p, Ward Abbott meant to say...

Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all
know how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic, classic
sauce technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy
continues to be an issue.

Most, but not all, of the technique of making a béchamel (white) sauce
is applicable, but there are other factors. Drippings vs. pan juices,
knowing the difference and how to separate them; the "browned bits"
that need to be scraped from the roasting pan, a well-seasoned stock,
etc.

A béchamel does not a Thanksgiving gravy make.

Having said that, I have absolutely never had a problem making gravy
for fowl or other meats, and I don't understand the issue either. If
one is a good basic cook, it should be an easy thing to master.

I imagine the main issue is incorrectly made roux' that makes a lumpy
gravy? I dunno, it never happened to mom, nor me.

I suppose you're right, but it never happened to my mom or me either.

--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

Cats must try to kill the curlicues of ribbon on
the finished packages.

Oh pshaw, on Fri 03 Nov 2006 10:07:42p, Janet B. meant to say...


"skyhooks" wrote in message
...
Ward Abbott wrote:

Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all know
how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic, classic sauce
technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy continues
to be an issue.

For some peculiar and strange reasons, my former MIL put chopped hard
boiled egg in her milky turkey gravy. Thankfully, T-day happened once
only at her house (whew!), and notice that "former" is the key word!

Sky, who still shudders when recalling that episode of T-day

I saw that on the Paula Dean show. She puts chopped hard boiled egg in
her turkey gravy. Maybe it is a Southern tradition?
Janet

Yes, chopped or sliced hard boiled egg is a typical addition to many a
Southerner's giblet gravy. I would always ask my grandmother to leave out
some gravy that didn't have egg.

Hard boiled eggs seem to appear in many Southern dishes and, while I do
like hard boiled eggs, I rarely like what they put them in. Case in point,
a popular dish in the area where my parents grew up is "Ham and Egg Pie".
It's comprised of largish bite sized pieces of country ham and hard boiled
eggs layered in a pie shell with a white sauce made with milk and ham
broth, covered with a top pastry and baked. It's enough to turn my
stomach.

--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

Cats must try to kill the curlicues of ribbon on
the finished packages.

Oh pshaw, on Fri 03 Nov 2006 10:16:48p, skyhooks meant to say...

Janet B. wrote:


"skyhooks" wrote in message
... Ward Abbott wrote:

Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all kno
w how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic, classic sa
uce technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy continue
s to be an issue.


For some peculiar and strange reasons, my former MIL put chopped hard
boiled egg in her milky turkey gravy. Thankfully, T-day happened once
only at her house (whew!), and notice that "former" is the key word!


Sky, who still shudders when recalling that episode of T-day


I saw that on the Paula Dean show. She puts chopped hard boiled egg in
her turkey gravy. Maybe it is a Southern tradition?
Janet

Adding chopped hard boiled eggs to any gravy or sauce is no tradition in
my southern area of the woods - and that's a bit farther south than even
Paula's. My said former MIL lives in the panhandle region of Texas.

Sky, who misses the "Redneck Riviera" at this time of year


It seems common in NE MS.

--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

Cats must try to kill the curlicues of ribbon on
the finished packages.

skyhooks wrote:
Ward Abbott wrote:

Why does everyone have horror stories about making gravy? We all
know how to make a perfect béchamel sauce which is the basic,
classic sauce technique.

I hear these "MIL" stories and I can't comprehend WHY gravy
continues to be an issue.

For some peculiar and strange reasons, my former MIL put chopped hard
boiled egg in her milky turkey gravy. Thankfully, T-day happened once
only at her house (whew!), and notice that "former" is the key word!

Sky, who still shudders when recalling that episode of T-day

Whoa, that plus the cornstarch mucilage story explains a lot, I must say.