Gravy

Many people now make gravy out of a packet and serve it not only with roasts, but also with any meat and potato dish. But the traditional way to make gravy is to use the meat juices and dripping left in the pan after making a roast, and to use the roux method.

• ½ cup dripping (if there’s not enough in the pan, add some butter or extra meat fat)
• ½ cup unbleached flour*
• about 6 cups of stock
• salt and pepper

Take the roast out of the pan and set aside. Put the roasting pan on an element and turn to a medium heat. Gradually mix in the flour, and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. When it turns light brown, add the stock bit by bit, mixing well as you add each bit with a hand whisk. Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes till thick. Season to taste. If it goes lumpy at any stage, use the hand whisk to beat the lumps out.

* If you’re gluten intolerant, glutinous rice makes a suitable substitute. The starch flours like arrowroot, tapioca, cornflour and potato starch don’t work, but potato flour is worth a try, if you can get it. (Potato starch is just the starch part of potato flour).

Guar gum for SF

Casserole gravies: We’ve already talked about thickening the sauce in casseroles, using arrowroot. Tapioca flour will also work.

Another use for arrowroot and tapioca flours is as a coating on meatballs, fish, etc, as a replacement for wheat flour. If you’re not gluten intolerant, you can unbleached flour.