SC - Gravy making

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Etain1263 at aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 00-05-14 21:51:22 EDT, you write:
> 
> <<
>  In cooking school they teach you to make a roux in a pan previously used
>  to roast, sautee or broil meat,
>  Unfortunately, they also tend to be of the opinion that flour and water
>  slurries are a Bad Thing, probably the last resort among starch thickeners.
> >>
> 
> Okay..I agree in theory...but if you stew the chicken instead of roasting
> it..there ARE no "pan juices" or fat to brown the flour to make a roux!  I'd
> rather have a flour and water thickened broth than use lard or oil or
> something to brown the flour and then add the broth!
> 
> Etain

The usual approach in a case like that would be to use fat skimmed off
the broth, or a minimal amount of butter or oil. The flour doesn't need
to be browned to remove the "raw flour" flavor,  but it can stay in a
gravy for quite a while if the flour is added in the form of a raw
slurry. If you're simply looking to avoid fat, and therefore roux, there
are better starch forms you can use than ordinary wheat flour.
  
Again, I'm not saying the method is such a bad thing, I'm saying what
cooking schools teach in response to that specific question.

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com