Whether you are making a holiday meal or a Sunday supper of roasted poultry, you’ll want to make delicious gravy to top servings of the bird or mashed potatoes. Gravy adds flavor, texture and moisture to meats and vegetables. Easy Two-Step Gravy Gravy making doesn’t have to be complicated; H-E-B Chef Scott relies on his tried and true, easy method especially during the holidays. “Use a prepared flour like Wondra, then you don’t have to cook it out and watch over it like you would using a traditional roux which is more involved.”

How to Make Easy Two-Step Gravy:

1. Simply sauté the giblets with onions and anything else that you’d like.
2. Add in chicken stock or pan drippings and slowly whisk in the flour and allow it to thicken to the consistency that you like.

Scott makes roasted fresh fennel gravy every holiday using this method with Wondra and store-purchased prepared stock.

Here are some other great flavor-packed add-ins for gravies Scott suggests:

• Madeira
• bacon
• dried Fruits, apricots, golden raisins, dried cherries
• leeks
• dried Shitake mushrooms, for the umami factor

Ultimate Gravy
H-E-B Chef Charlotte relies on fragrant herbs to create her “ultimate gravy.” “I use so many aromatics in the bottom of my roasting pan instead of a rack which give a depth of flavor to gravy. I especially like to include garlic, sage, and thyme. For sweeter gravy I use extra onions and carrots.”

When the turkey is done, here’s how to make Ultimate Gravy:

1. Strain the fat away and save all the dark brown bits.
2. In a separate bowl, add an all-purpose flour to the brown bits and add the drippings (fat) back to the flour to make a roux. Charlotte uses about ½ cup of flour to every ½ cup of fat depending on how much gravy she is making. Then cook it in a cast iron pan for several minutes to cook out the flour and add in homemade stock or packaged stock. Charlotte enhances the stock by adding parts and pieces of the roasted bird.
3. Cook until nice and velvety, stirring the entire time.

Charlotte agrees that using spirits, wine or alcohol is a great way to boost gravy, providing a sophisticated, special occasion taste. “After I remove the fat and take out all the veggies from the pan, I deglaze the pan with Vermouth before I make the gravy.” In the unlikely event you have any leftover gravy, you can freeze it for future meals or use it in a pot pie with turkey or chicken meat and vegetables topped with a pie crust.

For more great tips, check out the full H-E-B guide to cooking turkey.