Best Chicken Gravy

Gravy is all too often relegated to being a mere culinary afterthought – something made from a little stock and a thickener, or heaven forbid mixed from an MSG-laden packet. Well, I disagree! If you consider that a good meal should be a well-constructed vehicle for a gravy that you dream about afterwards, then I suggest you check out this recipe.

Make no bones about it (pun intended) making the best gravy is no simple matter. It requires a little extra time, not just whisking a little flour into your drippings at the last second. However, it’s well worth it.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. chicken bones
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 celery stalks, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 oz. tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Salt and pepper
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 4 Tbsp. flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix the vegetables with the tomato paste then lay them out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil so they won’t stick to the pan. Rest the chicken bones on top of the vegetables. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove the bones and vegetables from the oven and put into a stock pot with the broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain and set aside. [Note: you can leave in the vegetables if you want a more hearty or chunky gravy.]

Melt the butter over medium heat in a sauce pan. Sprinkle in the flour a little at a time while stirring briskly and constantly until all flour is incorporated into a roux (creamy paste.) Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly and moving the mixture all around, until the roux is a light to golden tan color. 

Remove the skillet from the burner. Slowly but steadily pour all of the stock into the pan while stirring briskly and constantly until it is blended in well.  [Note: If you are making this gravy in conjunction with a roast chicken, you can add the drippings into the mixture as well. In this case, just reduce the amount of stock to compensate for the amount of drippings added.] Once all of the liquid and roux have been incorporated, return the skillet to the heated burner, and continue cooking at a light simmer, whisking occasionally for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until nicely thickened.   

Keep warm over very low heat, or transfer to a gravy bowl for the table. Enjoy!