Makin' Gravy

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If you make it in advance, it saves some time when you go to make the gravy.

You can also make roux in advance and freeze it. Restaurants do that all the time.
I make roux in advance. I used to freeze it in "wafers". Then I read something by Julia Child where she said it would keep in the fridge for months. Now I just have a few jars of various roux's in the fridge. I use a fork to scrape out however much I need.
 
Heck, even certain items vary just from area to area within the same state. I've read discussions on barbecue in the Carolinas and folks in one part of a state are adamant that folks in the next county are doing it all wrong.

If there can be that much variability within a state, then how much variety must there be when crossing state lines? :blink:

Absolutely! People from the mountains and the coasts and in between have very different food traditions.
 
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I take anything I hear here very lightly as I have met very few people that actually know how to cook.

:LOL:, it's not much different here. ;)


I tried once browning flour.In the end the difference was not enough to notice. Important part is to cook the rue long enough so it is cooked. I suppose browning the flour shortens the time a little bit.
 
So are you saying all the recipes that have been posted in this forum are just crap? Considering that is such a broad statement, does that include all of the members of this forum?

:) I am sure he was not talking about the forum people. And unfortunately there are, in fact, a lot of people out there who think they can cook. I have a cousin like that, she is very generous and every time we used to go to her house she would put a huge spread, and none of that was edible. I would be sick for 2-3 days after we ate there. Thank G-d I keep kosher now and cannot eat in her house. Love her dearly. But food ... :sick:
 
:) I am sure he was not talking about the forum people. And unfortunately there are, in fact, a lot of people out there who think they can cook. I have a cousin like that, she is very generous and every time we used to go to her house she would put a huge spread, and none of that was edible. I would be sick for 2-3 days after we ate there. Thank G-d I keep kosher now and cannot eat in her house. Love her dearly. But food ... :sick:


I have a cousin who can't cook either, but I also love her dearly. This year, I am bringing stuffing AND gravy to her Thanksgiving get-together. Last year's lack of gravy debacle has scarred me for life.

Hm. Good opportunity to try out Zhizara's friend's technique.
 
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The part of the south I come from had brown gravy and white gravy, just depended on what you were serving it with. I never saw a white gravy served with any kind of roast bird or roast beef. White gravy would be for biscuits or fried foods like chicken fried steak, fried pork chops, fried chicken (if somebody wanted gravy with it), maybe a REAL light brown instead of white on occasion. Just depended on what it was and the cook's mood.

And whoever mentioned gumbo forgot to bring up etouffee, now that's a gravy I wouldn't mind eating just about any time!
 
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OK, just to lighten the mood a bit about browning flour in an iron skillet, I have another take on the subject.

When I was a new mom, my sweet southern grandmother told me to brown up some flour in an iron skillet to cure my baby's diaper rash. It worked like a charm when no fancy medicines had. I floured up his little bum with that browned flour and he was cured in a couple of days. Maybe it had something to do with it being browned in an iron skillet.

Anyway, carry on......:LOL:

That's hilarous, KL! Thanks for lightening my mood. :wub:
 
OK, just to lighten the mood a bit about browning flour in an iron skillet, I have another take on the subject.

When I was a new mom, my sweet southern grandmother told me to brown up some flour in an iron skillet to cure my baby's diaper rash. It worked like a charm when no fancy medicines had. I floured up his little bum with that browned flour and he was cured in a couple of days. Maybe it had something to do with it being browned in an iron skillet.

Anyway, carry on......:LOL:

Kay, thanks for jogging my memory. My mother told me about that. I mentioned that my daughter had a slightly red bottom. She toasted a bunch flour and put it in an empty jar. She had quite a collection of empty jars. That jar of toasted flour saved me from buying baby powder. To make her feel needed, I would ask her to refill the jar when it was low on toasted flour. She did that for me with three of my babies before she died of cancer.

I kept that last jar of toasted flour for about two years after she died. She never got to see her last two grandchildren. And every so often I find myself saving an empty jar. They do come in hand and save space in the fridge. Thank you Kayelle for jogging my memory cells. :angel:
 
Here in my part of the South, turkey and beef gravy made with a browned roux are not uncommon. By definition, white or milk gravy isn't made with browned flour, but that's not the only gravy Southerners make. See: Gumbo.

I have had brown gravy and chicken gravy here in my part of the state. Its just that white seems to be the one I see the most.

And in rebuttal I have know a lot of southern ladies that made brown gravy for their chicken fried steak. Why would I want a white gravy for a piece of beef? :angel:

I know none that use brown gravy for chicken fried anything. Its white on fried food in the south. Sorry, your in NE. how would you know anyway?

So are you saying all the recipes that have been posted in this forum are just crap? Considering that is such a broad statement, does that include all of the members of this forum?

You are seriously a terrible reader or harbor negative feelings toward me. I said nothing of the sort.

If you want to learn about Souther cooking, maybe you should make an effort to meet more Southern ladies. They are the ones who know how to really cook!

I married a southern lady, I raised 4 southern lady daughters and have lots of southern lady friends.
I stand by my comments.

After reading this post, I take what you say about the south lightly. You can't make a gumbo without a roux, which requires browning flour.

No one makes gumbo in SC and if they do, they most likely came from Louisiana. I have never see gumbo on any southern style restaurant menu and know of no one including my self that makes gumbo. I do love gumbo BTW.
Once again, where do you live?

I think he meant "here" in his area of the South.

Thanks GG.

Same here. RB, you continually speak as if where you are and who you know are the be-all end-all of Southern cooking. I think your experience with Southern cooks is very limited and it's unfortunate that you've generalized that experience to everyone in the South.
The South includes 16 states, not just South Carolina, or your little corner of South Carolina.

I speak from personal experience and I think you guys have very thin skin.
I have never been in a group that was so touchy.
Geez, lighten up a little.

I agree I do lump most of the south into one big bowl and that is wrong. But I can only go by what I experience personally. I am sorry my personal taste and thinking does not jive with yours.
And for the record, you can be pretty good at being a "know it all" your self.;)
 
...No one makes gumbo in SC and if they do, they most likely came from Louisiana. I have never see gumbo on any southern style restaurant menu and know of no one including my self that makes gumbo. I do love gumbo BTW.
Once again, where do you live?

...I speak from personal experience...

I have no issue with your speaking from personal experience. My issue is that you tend to present your personal experience as the gospel for the entire region.

Where I live is not really relevant to the discussion. It's what I know about regional cooking. You may "...never see gumbo on any southern style restaurant menu and know of no one including my self that makes gumbo." but that doesn't mean no one anywhere in the south ever makes brown gravy. There's more to southern cooking than what happens in your part of SC.
 
I have had brown gravy and chicken gravy here in my part of the state. Its just that white seems to be the one I see the most.



I know none that use brown gravy for chicken fried anything. Its white on fried food in the south. Sorry, your in NE. how would you know anyway?



You are seriously a terrible reader or harbor negative feelings toward me. I said nothing of the sort.



I married a southern lady, I raised 4 southern lady daughters and have lots of southern lady friends.
I stand by my comments.



No one makes gumbo in SC and if they do, they most likely came from Louisiana. I have never see gumbo on any southern style restaurant menu and know of no one including my self that makes gumbo. I do love gumbo BTW.
Once again, where do you live?



Thanks GG.



I speak from personal experience and I think you guys have very thin skin.
I have never been in a group that was so touchy.
Geez, lighten up a little.

I agree I do lump most of the south into one big bowl and that is wrong. But I can only go by what I experience personally. I am sorry my personal taste and thinking does not jive with yours.
And for the record, you can be pretty good at being a "know it all" your self.;)

Your comment that I don't know about southern. Well I lived in South Texas for a number of years. So I do know about southern cooking. That is where I learned to make my brown gravy southern style. I haven't spent my whole life here in Boston. :angel:
 
I have no issue with your speaking from personal experience. My issue is that you tend to present your personal experience as the gospel for the entire region.

Where I live is not really relevant to the discussion. It's what I know about regional cooking. You may "...never see gumbo on any southern style restaurant menu and know of no one including my self that makes gumbo." but that doesn't mean no one anywhere in the south ever makes brown gravy. There's more to southern cooking than what happens in your part of SC.
^^This.

RB, I won't say anymore because you have already been dog piled.
 
I have no issue with your speaking from personal experience. My issue is that you tend to present your personal experience as the gospel for the entire region.

Where I live is not really relevant to the discussion. It's what I know about regional cooking. You may "...never see gumbo on any southern style restaurant menu and know of no one including my self that makes gumbo." but that doesn't mean no one anywhere in the south ever makes brown gravy. There's more to southern cooking than what happens in your part of SC.

I can agree with you on this Andy. :) I can sometimes be quite animated. My apologies.

Your comment that I don't know about southern. Well I lived in South Texas for a number of years. So I do know about southern cooking. That is where I learned to make my brown gravy southern style. I haven't spent my whole life here in Boston. :angel:

I'm from Miami, so I'm no expert in southern cooking.
I just do not see much brown gravy here in my particular area.
White gravy seems to be the most used.

RB, I won't say anymore because you have already been dog piled.

:LOL: I know..... They set me straight though!
 
I have had brown gravy and chicken gravy here in my part of the state. Its just that white seems to be the one I see the most...

I speak from personal experience and I think you guys have very thin skin.
I have never been in a group that was so touchy.
Geez, lighten up a little.

I agree I do lump most of the south into one big bowl and that is wrong. But I can only go by what I experience personally. I am sorry my personal taste and thinking does not jive with yours.

What you said is this:
First things first. I know of no "Southern Ladies" that brown the flour or even use brown gravy. LOL.
Here in the south its white gravy with the occasional sausage added and poured over biscuits.

Good of you to admit you're wrong. I'm not touchy or thin-skinned. I don't like to see inaccuracies is all. If you only go by what you personally experience, you're not learning much apparently. And I don't expect anyone's personal taste to jibe with mine. It's just inaccurate to say that your experience defines southern cooking.

And for the record, you can be pretty good at being a "know it all" your self.;)

Very gentlemanly of you.
 

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