# Making gravy tonight (maybe) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 11, 2025, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785 "2025-11-11T19:30:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/1 "2025-11-11T19:30:08Z")
I will be making fried chicken cutlets tonight so not a lot of drippings. I was thinking of adding some of the seasoned flour and maybe butter for the rue if more fat needed. Ok so now I have chicken broth, cream and better than bullion available so how do I go from that rue to a gravy to put over mashed potatoes? ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/2 "2025-11-11T19:45:37Z")
Sounds like you know what you need already! But yeah, drippings plus additional fat in skillet (if using butter, I always try to carefully cook most of the water out first or just use ghee), add the flour and cook until desired flavor/thickening potential needed (barely blonde for ME for gravy) then reduce heat further and sloooowly add the cream/broth (generally I heat these to lukewarm first before adding) while whisking like a fiend. Expect the gravy to thicken _further_ for a bit after cooking, so leave the proto-gravy slightly more watery than you’d want to serve. Season gravy with salt, pepper as default, maybe some crushed dried sage, onion/garlic powder or other to taste. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/3 "2025-11-11T19:48:02Z")
That’s what I figured. A basic country gravy but I will try some chicken BtB in it just for flavor. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/4 "2025-11-11T19:48:10Z")
⬆ that. Add liquid a bit at a time, stir/whisk until it’s incorporated, add more, repeat until it’s a little short of the thickness you want. And it’s “roux” FYI. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/5 "2025-11-11T19:48:52Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > And it’s “roux” FYI. Dammit I knew that! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/6 "2025-11-11T19:50:08Z")
First off its _roux._ Rue is not how we think on gravy. I can walk you thru the best gravy you ever ate. (I promise) But it seems you have a plan. Let us know how it turns out. 😄 ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/7 "2025-11-11T19:51:21Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I can walk you thru the best gravy you ever ate. (I promise) I’ve made a ton of gravy over the years but please share. I want to explore new gravy ideas … ones I won’t rue. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/8 "2025-11-11T20:09:44Z")
I knew you had to know that. 😏 Anyway.. This is how I make gravy that’s for a chicken meal. Good heavy skillet. A fair bit of time. Make sure the liquid(water) has no unpleasant taste. I’m on a well so all gravies and sauces are made with boughten water. Good drippings are a must. If you’re shy of enough add some bacon grease you’ve saved back. Or Frisco lard. Butter can burn. Oil doesn’t have the viscosity. In my experience. Gather your other ingredients: chicken broth, plain flour, salt, pepper. (And butter.) We like onion, so I always start with diced onion. Depending on the protein maybe bell pepper, diced. Sloooooooowly saute the chipped onion in the drippings, til its very soft. Remove from skillet. Hot the skillet up a bit. Sprinkle the flour over the hot drippings. You gotta have an eye for how much flour. When you know, you know. Turn the flame down to looooooow. Let the flour brown to a uniform brown color. We like it dark, but you stop where you like it. Add the liquids slowly. I mean slowly. Adjust your flame as needed. You want it hot enough to make a tiny slow bubbling. Too hot and it will thicken too quickly. You’ll be whisking the whole time. When it starts to thicken, add the onions back. Add a couple tablespoons of butter. Adjust salt. Add lots of pepper. Carefully keep warm. More gravy disasters happen trying to keep it warm than any other way, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/9 "2025-11-11T20:11:53Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Butter can burn. Use ghee instead. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/10 "2025-11-11T20:13:25Z")
Yeah. Got none of that in my kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/11 "2025-11-11T20:28:11Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Rue is not how we think on gravy. Well, there was that _one_ diner where I did absolutely rue the gravy… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2025, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/12 "2025-11-11T20:33:30Z")
I’ve had a few rueful gravies in my life, as well. 😄 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/13 "2025-11-12T00:22:57Z")
My first one certainly was. I ended up with a tub full of concrete. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/14 "2025-11-12T02:13:42Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I can walk you thru the best gravy you ever ate. Knee-Deep is an appropriate quantity of gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/15 "2025-11-12T02:39:31Z")
Bisto 😋 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/16 "2025-11-12T03:26:33Z")
We have stuff like that here called Wondra Flour. It works. I found the gravy was not reheatable without way too much work. Jellyfied. Wasn’t worth it to me. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/17 "2025-11-12T14:55:09Z")
I’m not a cook, but I enjoy gravy (especially on roast potatoes. 😀 ) I use [1 Bisto Traditional Gravy Granules 190g - Bisto](https://www.bisto.co.uk/products/bisto-traditional-gravy-granules-190g/) 🧐 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/18 "2025-11-12T15:23:48Z")
I’ve never gone that far, but my “ruin the gravy” mode is adding too much flour. I like a nice dark gravy, that incorporates all the browned bits of fond on the pan plus well-cooked flour in the roux. I also prefer a fairly thin gravy. None of that gloopy stuff. If my gravy is going to have lumps in it, they should be finely chopped giblets. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/19 "2025-11-12T15:27:08Z")
In an _ **astonishing** _ coincidence, right after I first opened and skimmed through this thread yesterday, a recipe for ‘chicken and gravy’ by a cook I like on a channel called ‘Old’s Cool Kevmo’ popped up in my YT feed. Almost as if my browsing is being tracked, or something… 🤨 Now, normally I like his sort of simple and practical approach to cooking, but in this case he used beef stock for the chicken gravy. He also used red wine, which I was fine with- I’d probably go with white wine in a chicken gravey, but that’s what’s used in coq au vin and he even calls what he’s making ‘kind of a deconstructed coq au vin’. But I checked Julia Child’s coq au vin recipe and she used chicken stock. Beef stock just seems all kinds of wrong for chicken gravy. Am I the wrong one here? He mentions using beef stock at about 3:45: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MF_5IjlXq8o/maxresdefault.jpg "Chicken & Gravy") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF_5IjlXq8o) ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2025, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785/20 "2025-11-12T15:41:25Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Now, normally I like his sort of simple and practical approach to cooking, but in this case he used beef stock for the chicken gravy. I’m with you. I’d tend to stick with white wine and chicken stock, too. but I’ve been surprised before by stepping out of my comfort zone, so I might try beef stock and red wine once, just to see if it amped up the flavor or created a new flavor profile I preferred. I can see how the flavor might be deeper or richer. One thing I’ll mention in the general sense of making gravy: Several posters have indicated the need to whisk or stir the mixture like crazy when adding liquid to your roux, and to add the liquid slowly. It doesn’t matter, if you’ve cooked your flour sufficiently. You can’t get lumps no matter how hard you try. The whole point of cooking the flour in the fat is to prevent this (also to take the raw flour flavor away). Once the flour molecules take up the fat, they can’t clump together. So take time to make a good, well-cooked roux, and you’ll never have lumps in your gravy. Science! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-gravy-tonight-maybe/1024785.md?page=2)