It's a common Thanksgiving nightmare: The turkey is juicy, its skin is crispy, and it's arranged gorgeously on a platter. You drizzle on some gravy—and that's when you see them. Lumps. They dot the gravy like mosquito bites. And now your turkey is ruined.
Well, America, it's time to wake up. Lumpy gravy is last year's nightmare. Here are four tips to making this year's gravy a dream.
A traditional Thanksgiving gravy involves making a roux, a paste made from equal parts flour and fat. (See the recipe below for a classic example.) A roux can be a source of lumps, especially if you use a wooden spoon when making your gravy. That's why you want to use a whisk. There are two critical whisking moments here: 1. When the flour hits the fat (whisk it constantly for a roux that's as smooth as possible), and when you're gradually pouring the stock into the roux (again, whisk constantly for smooth incorporation). When your gravy is pretty well blended, you can start stirring it with a wooden spoon. But when the whisk has been so kind to you already, why bother?
Cornstarch has a bad rep in some circles, but it has two times the thickening power of flour, and using it means that you don't have to mess with a roux. Instead, you make a slurry (the fancy restaurant term for a dissolved cornstarch solution). Whisk 1 cup of cool stock into ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch until the powder dissolves and the slurry is as smooth as possible. Heat remaining stock in a stockpot over high heat until steaming (but not boiling). Gradually add your slurry, whisking constantly, until incorporated. Bring the stock to a boil, whisk for a minute more, and watch as a smooth, thick gravy magically materializes.
Thickening your gravy with a sprinkling of flour? One common mistake is adding too much flour at once. A little flour goes a long way, and reacts very quickly with hot stock; dumping in a whole cup will almost always lead to lumps. Instead, load a mesh strainer with some flour and dust it gently over the gravy. Whisk in the flour, wait for the gravy to thicken, and, if necessary, dust on a little more.
Sometimes the best laid plans turn to lumps. Don't panic! You can fix a lumpy gravy with a mesh strainer. Pour the gravy through the strainer and push out the liquid into a gravy boat using a rubber spatula. Throw the solids left behind—the lumps, that is—in the trash. That is, after all, where lumps belong.