My father always made gravy from scratch when I was growing up, and on more than one occassion he educated me in the nuances of a perfect roux. When I went gluten-free ten years ago, I never had to go without gravy. Its so simple to make, and I substitute any gluten-free flour I have on hand for the original wheat flour. If you do it right, you shouldn’t taste the flour. It’s just there as a thickening agent. Of course, most people are used to a darker brown gravy. That’s because it’s standard practice to drop a little “Kitchen Bouquet” or “Gravy Master” in your gravy. I don’t do that because neither can be trusted to be gluten-free. But don’t worry, just because this gravy is a little lighter in color, does not mean it’s light on taste. If you want, you can cook the roux longer, to bring out a darker color to the gravy. But I don’t think its necessary.
Trust me, you will love this gravy. Because its simple to make. Because its gluten-free (my version is also dairy-free and soy-free), and most of all because its full of flavor and substance. Gravy is the sine qua non of Thanksgiving dinner, and no gluten-free person should have to go without it!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons “fats”*
2 Tablespoons gluten-free flour**
2 cups chicken/vegetable stock (make sure its GF! I use Better than Bouillon no chicken base)
3 fresh sage leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
* I use dairy-free, soy-free margarine and it works just fine. If you can handle butter, by all means use butter. You can also use lard, if you aren’t worried about the fat content. Some people use meat drippings, but sometimes there is liquid other than fat mixed in, and I find it messes with the balance of my “roux.”
** In the gravy pictured above, I used brown rice flour. I have also used a gluten-free all-purpose flour mix before. I imagine any flour you have on hand could work just fine.
a roux forms when flour is whisked with fat over low heat
Instructions:
Melt butter/margarine (“fats) in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour until you form a roux.
Continue to cook the roux, whisking constantly, until it starts to turn golden brown. This will cook the flour so that its taste isn’t noticeable in the final dish.
Gradually whisk in the stock. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Add sage leaves, then boil, still stirring, for one minute. Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper, and serve.
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