5 Unexpected Ingredients That Will Give Your Gravy a Kick

Tasting Table ^ | 11/17/16 | ANDREW BUI

[nickcarraway]

Bland gravy doesn't have to be a thing this Thanksgiving

IIf on Thanksgiving you find yourself with a pot of bland gravy, try something a little different instead of simply reaching for more salt.

Add umami-rich ingredients to punch up your gravy.

We know umami brings “savoriness” to your tongue, but what exactly makes a food umami rich? The answer is a food high in glutamates (a type of amino acid), which are responsible for the rich, addictive taste found in cured meats, aged cheeses, fish and other foods we associate with umami. We aren’t suggesting you add a piece of salmon to your gravy, but a dash of the household pantry items below can bring those turkey drippings up to par in no time flat.

① Soy Sauce There’s a reason why the word umami is so often associated with soy sauce. The fermented soy beans that give the condiment its signature depth make it our go-to source for jazzing up any dish. A drizzle is all you need.

② Dried Porcini Mushrooms Mushrooms are naturally high in umami-rich compounds, and when dried they become super-concentrated umami bombs. Use them by either rehydrating the dried fungi in a little hot water and blending them into a porcini purée, or simply keep a flavor-packed porcini mushroom powder on hand by running the dried mushrooms through a coffee grinder.

③ Worcestershire Sauce Made with anchovies, vinegar and a few other top-secret ingredients, Worcestershire sauce is aged for months to develop its signature taste. A few drops will impart a zesty flavor and intricate twang.

④ Tomato Paste While fresh tomatoes contain only trace amounts of umami compounds, when intensely concentrated like they are in a can of tomato paste, they transform into a sweet-savory component that adds a dollop of serious flavor.

⑤ Fish Sauce A staple of Southeast Asian cuisine, this punchy condiment is made by allowing anchovies to ferment in salt and then extracting the resulting liquid. Many chefs swear by this stuff, using it to make any dish more complex. Just be careful—a little goes a long way.

So if you’re finding your gravy (or any of your Thanksgiving dishes) lacking oomph this year, see what adding a little umami can do.

[bgill]

I make the best gravy in the family. There’s a reason I taught myself to cook at a very early age and why everyone says no, no, no when mother wants to bring something. She’s limited to fruit salad and even that’s iffy.

[bgill]

Add oranges to your cranberry sauce.

[ari-freedom]

I can make vegetarian food taste delicious by adding just 3 ingredients:
1) sun dried tomatoes
2) dried mushrooms
3) meat

Usually I just go with #3 :)

[LonePalm]

You might also consider about an eighth tsp., or less, of cinnamon.

It also works well in chili.

"Ceterum censeo Hillary esse delendam."

'La bonne cuisine est la base du véritable bonheur.' - Auguste Escoffier
(Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

So add Accent to gravy. OK!

[piasa]

I just stick a peforated Meyer lemon [or orange], onion, garlic and salt in the turkey, a stick of butter, and season the thing under the skin with chipotle seasoning, salt, onion slices, garlic and bunches of fresh rosemary.

Then use the drippings for the gravy. The flavor is awesome.

[RevelationDavid]

Balsamic vinegar....1/2 teaspoon per cup of gravy

It will increase the flavor of your turkey gravy… Bigley

...believe me.

[Walkingfeather]

use the water from the potatoes you boiled for mash potatoes to thin gravy. it gives gravy that added thing its missing

[ladyjane]

I put lemon rinds in side the turnkey along with the stuffing. Some rosemary too. I’ve never tried orange rinds. I might just try that. BTW I always put some chopped up walnuts in my stuffing. People seem to really like it.

[HusbandMan]

Horseradish. And then add horseradish. But not the spread kind that is made with mayonnaise and sweeteners.

[Bigg Red]

I make great gravy, and I would never use any of those ingrediets except the Worcestershire sauce.

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

If your gravy made with flour tastes pasty you are doing it wrong. Equal amounts fat and flour by weight. Melt the fat (I like butter) Stir in the flour and cook for a few minutes. Cooking the flour eliminates the pastiness.

http://www.thekitchn.com/do-you-know-your-french-mother-sauces-211794

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKSWqgY-Ffk

[logitech]

Morrisons... mmmmm!

[Made In The USA]

In the gravy or a glass? Both?

[central_va]

Both.

[central_va]

I actually BBQ my turkey weather permitting. I always add a little JD Black to the old BBQ sauce.

[W.]

Thanks, my dear, I’ll give it a go!

[Ellendra]

If the flour is making the gravy taste pasty, it needs cooked longer before adding the liquid.

[Ellendra]

Nice video, I wish I’d had that before my first attempt at making a roux!

I did notice he missed a color. I like using a dark brown roux for my gravies, he stopped at the brown. The dark brown is trickier, but I think it gives it a bolder flavor.

[shibumi]

Six months downwind of a Nuoc Mam plant.

Enough "umami" for a long, long time.