Herb Infused Pan Gravy
This is a reduction sauce built on the drippings left in your roasting pan. You whisk flour into the hot fat to create a roux, slowly incorporate stock until smooth, and steep woody herbs in the final simmer to extract their oils without bitterness.
The drippings determine the depth.
Your gravy will only be as complex as the roasted bits left in the bottom of your pan. Scrape everything up, even the dark brown crust.
- heavy-bottomed roasting pan or saucepan
- whisk
- fine-mesh sieve
What goes in.
- 3 tbsppan drippings or unsalted butter
- 3 tbspall-purpose flour
- 2 cupswarm chicken or beef stock
- 2 sprigsfresh thyme
- 1 sprigfresh rosemary
- to tastekosher salt and cracked black pepper
Lifting the Fond
Before adding flour, use a splash of stock to loosen the browned bits from the bottom of the pan; these bits are the base of your color and complexity.
The method.
Prepare the fat
Place the roasting pan over medium heat. If you have less than 3 tablespoons of rendered fat, add enough butter to reach that amount.
Make the roux
Sprinkle the flour over the fat. Whisk constantly for 2 minutes. The mixture should look like wet sand and turn a light golden color.
Add the liquid
Pour in the warm stock half a cup at a time, whisking vigorously to break up any clumps. It will thicken immediately.
Infuse the herbs
Drop in the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Lower the heat and let the gravy simmer gently for 5 minutes, allowing the herb oils to release into the sauce.
Finish
Remove the herb stems. Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve if you prefer a smooth texture. Season with salt and pepper to your preference.
Other turns to take.
Shallot and Wine
Sauté a minced shallot in the fat before adding the flour, and substitute a quarter-cup of dry white wine for an equal amount of stock.
Cream Gravy
Finish by stirring in two tablespoons of heavy cream after removing the herbs for a richer, opaque sauce.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always use warm stock; cold liquid hitting a hot roux can cause the flour to seize into lumps.
If the gravy gets too thick, add a small splash of hot water until it reaches a ribbon-like consistency.
Taste your gravy only after you have added the salt, as the stock and drippings can vary significantly in their existing salt content.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why does my gravy taste floury?
The flour wasn't cooked long enough in the fat. Ensure the roux cooks for at least two minutes before adding liquid.
Can I use dried herbs instead?
You can, but use them sparingly—half a teaspoon of dried thyme instead of sprigs—and stir them in at the beginning so they have time to soften.
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