Browning Flour for Gravy (includes turkey gravy recipe)

This flour can be used to flavor and thicken stews, and it renders browning the roux, for gumbo or étouffée, unnecessary.

Heat a clean, dry medium cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1–2 cups all purpose flour (if you can find White Lily, it is the best brand) and stir frequently with a wooden spoon until flour begins to color; then stir constantly until flour turns deep golden brown, 40–50 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. Store in a sealed jar in a cool dark place for up to 1 year.   Note: My flour never looks as brown as this picture shows . . . and remember, the longer you brown the flour the less thickening power it will have later . . . you also don't want to scorch the flour or it will taste burned in your gravy . . . just be careful to attend it while browning and keep the heat rather low.

How to use browned flour to make gravy

Making Gravy from Browned Flour

To avoid lumps, you need two things -- (1) the right proportion of fat to flour -- 1 T. fat to 1-1/2 T. flour is pretty common, although a little extra fat won't hurt. You want to make sure the flour and fat can come together into a semi-thick paste. (2) hot liquid for thickening (about 1 C. liquid for every 1 T. flour (use less liquid if you want a thicker gravy)) added while whisking constantly.

Turkey Gravy using Browned Flour

When making turkey gravy, simply add drippings from the turkey roasting pan as your fat.  Combine this with the correct proportion of browned flour.  Then to flavor the gravy you may want to add sliced onion and/or sliced mushrooms (if you are dealing with folks who say they don’t like mushrooms, simply grind up the mushrooms and no one will know you put mushrooms in . . .they add a lot of flavor to gravy and don’t seem to be noticed by those who say they don’t like mushrooms . . . the same is true for those who say they don’t like onions . . . if you mince a little onion and add it at the beginning of the gravy making process, no one will detect the offending onion).  Cook the oil, flour, and added onions/mushrooms while stirring constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes and then add hot broth or water as specified in the amounts above.  At this point, taste the gravy for seasoning and season your gravy with salt and pepper.  Cook the gravy over medium to low heat until it is as thick as you want.  If gravy is too thick, add more of your liquid to thin.  If you want the gravy to be a bit richer, add a tablespoon or so of cream.

Note: The reason you wait until near the end to season the gravy with salt and pepper is because the turkey drippings and broth will contain salt so you don’t know how much seasoning you will need.