Dinner Or Gravy

I have been sitting here trying to decide what to write about.  Should it be what I am making for supper tonight (shepherds pie) or the fine art of gravy.  The pie has just come out of the oven and I think it smells pretty dern good but...to make shepherds pie, you must make gravy (or you can cheat and buy it in the bottle but what fun is that?).

To me fine gravy is like fine wine, they both take time.  I must say first I LOVE gravy.  I love it on everything!  If it weren't for gravy we would never have rice in our house, not very southern but I'm from New York so what the heck.  My first Mother In Law (whom I love dearly) would shake some Wondra into the fat and call it gravy, I have friends that serve Thanksgiving gravy from the can or jar....Gravy Sacrilege!  My mother taught me how to make it and I believe I have taught the girls how to make it.  Time, patience, corn starch and water...those are the ingredients needed.  Oh also fat from the meat and the proper pan.

To make proper gravy (just in time for Thanksgiving)
The fat from the meat (I mean all of it) in the pan it was roasted in (it best be metal)
About a tablespoon of corn starch
A glass of water

Place the pan with the fat on the stove, add the cornstarch.  Set at a mid medium temperature for a minute or two.  Leaving the temperature where it is, when thickened add some water and stir, add more water and stir some more.  Do the same for a while.  Add more water, stir some more (I add lots of water and stir alot)..after about 15 minutes (or more in my case) add some salt and pepper than serve.

If you are cooking turkey or other birds, you might want to simmer the innards in some water with a bit of onion for about half and hour, chop up the liver and anything else palatiable, use the water and what you have of the innards in the gravy.

So there it is, the fine art of gravy making!