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Q: Chef, What is the difference between gravy and sauce?
How do you make a good gravy?
A: With all good things in life, beginnings are crucial – and the art of a flavorful and unforgettable gravy is no different.
A good gravy or sauce can be the difference that turns a meal from satisfactory, to savory and satisfying.
In the South, gravy is a well appreciated meal addition and on most holidays, gravy and sauce recipes are a traditional staple passed on from generation to generation.
The history of gravies and sauces date back to the 16th century with the French using meat juices to add flavor to their meals.
As with most popular things, word spread and meat juices were adopted by all continents in one form or another and quickly developed into every form from a light broth to rich savory gravies.
Cornstarch or flour often are used as thickening agents in gravies or sauces; the most flavorful can be made purely by reduction.
Reduction is a process of cooking the down ingredients until a rich and thick product that coats the back of a spoon is achieved.
Technically, gravy is derived from meat drippings or liquid and sauces are made from bone stock. We often cook both the meat and bones for a richer stock that can be used for either gravy or a sauce.
So, where to begin when making a sauce or gravy?
A solid base is key – and by that we mean a good stock.
Natural drippings collected over hours of preparation from the protein combined with special seasonings provides the base for your gravy. Combinations of fresh herbs, vegetables, spices and other unique additions, such as coconut milk and olive oils, can be the answer to a successful end product.
The possibilities are endless – gravy and sauces can provide added flavor to almost anything.
Take a simple cream sauce, also known as bechamel, made from butter, flour and cream or milk. A cream sauce is a “mother sauce” that provides the base for a lot of combinations in preparing foods such as macaroni and cheese, cream soups and sauces.
For meat gravies, natural drippings are essential for a tasty final product. Drippings combined with a quality stock are another good base to gravy or sauce.
We often use stock for our gravy and sauces because they have less calories and can be so flavorful with the addition of fresh herbs and spices. We have included some of our favorite recipes for a flavorful gravy.
As with any recipe, feel free to change it up and make it your own. In the end, no matter what combination or recipes you choose, just be sure to “pass the gravy.”
Homemade Chicken Stock
2-3 pound organic chicken, whole
1 pound onion, quartered
1 pound carrots, cut into quarters
1 pound celery, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 large bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a large stock pot, cover with water and simmer (never boil) for 1 1/2 hours. Strain through a colander – this liquid is the stock. Use part of the chicken for the meal and allow the rest to cool. Save the celery, carrots and onions and incorporate into a meal or a soup.
Homemade beef stock
4 pounds of beef bones (Ask your butcher, they usually have some in the back. The best have bone marrow in them.)
2 pounds onion cut in quarters
1 pound carrot, cut into quarters
1 pound celery, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 bunch parsley
1 large bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the bones in a roasting pan in a 375 degree oven for one hour. Add all the vegetables in with the bones for an additional 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and scrape into a large stock pot, being careful to avoid burns. Cover with water and simmer for 3 hours. Strain and cool; the stock will be flavorful and ready for use in a soup, sauce or gravy.
Homemade vegetable broth
1 quart organic tomato juice
2 pounds onion cut in quarters
1 pound carrot, cut into quarters
1 pound celery, cut into 3-inch pieces
1 bunch parsley
Greens or herbs from the refrigerator (This is a good way to use wilted greens and herbs.)
1 large bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine above ingredients, along with one quart of water in large stock pot. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Strain and cool.
Reserve the vegetables for soup or eat as part of a meal and the liquid is the broth.
Gravy
The best gravy is from drippings from freshly roasted meat – and sometimes we add broth or stock if there are not enough juices for the amount of gravy needed.
Remove the cooked meat from the roasting pan and set aside to rest.
Add broth or stock to the liquid and burnt-looking leftovers in the bottom of the roasting pan and set it on burner of the stove over medium heat.
Stir and scrap the bottom of the pan to release all the flavors, and simmer (never boil) until the bottom of the pan is clean. Strain if needed. This liquid can be used as “au jus” or thicken to make a gravy as follows:
Make a roux with flour and fat (we use olive oil or butter) in a 1:1 ratio, about 1/2 cup of each. Whisk flour into fat over medium heat.
Stir constantly for 5 minutes at a simmer/low boil. Add some of the roux to the liquid in the roasting pan and cook over medium heat, continuing to stir constantly until the gravy reaches the desired consistency; 2 ounces of roux will thicken about 1 quart of liquid.
To make a slurry with cornstarch instead of a roux use 1/4 cup of cornstarch dissolved in very warm water and stir until it becomes a thin, pasty liquid.
Slowly pour this into the simmering broth/juice mixture, stirring constantly until the desired thickness is reached.
To make a gluten-free roux, we use Pamela’s Pancake and Baking Mix instead of flour with the same ratios.
Try with any gluten-free flour mix, but thickening results may vary some.
Chef Hosch and Ann are a husband and wife team devoted to healthy and gourmet cooking and catering. Chef Hosch is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York, and brings more than 25 years of experience and passion to his culinary arts. Ann is an occupational therapist and has worked as a cook and baker in the past. Chef Hosch and Ann opened the Tower Cafe, 1000 Commerce Park Drive, in December 2013. They serve lunch Monday through Friday. Chef Hosch and Ann specialize in creating food for all tastes and diets. Their column is published on the first Wednesday of each month in the Food section. Submit cooking questions for Chef Hosch and Ann to finefood@chefhosch.com and “Like” them on Facebook to ask questions and get tips and recipes.