Basic Dinner Recipes

3 Tbsp. (44 ml) butter
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) flour
1 c. (0.2 L) stock

Double recipe:
4 Tbsp. (59 ml) butter
4 Tbsp. (59 ml) flour
2 c. (0.5 L) stock

The perfect complement for your holiday feast! When I was growing up, my mom had a special thing that she shook the flour and pan drippings in to make a smooth gravy. Why worry about the fat/drippings ratio? Isn't turkey enough stress? Have stock on hand and take the worry out of gravy.

Grant Family Recipe

Yield: single batch is enough for about 5 helpings of mashed potatoes, make a double batch for a big holiday meal.

In a skillet, melt butter. Do not allow the butter to brown. (You could do this in a saucepan; it is at heart a sauce. But a skillet spreads it out thin for the heat and it thickens up a little faster.)

Sprinkle flour across butter. Blend to make a roux, a creamy, buttery paste.

Little by little, add stock. Simmer until thickened.

Frozen stock is very handy here. Adding a block of frozen stock melts bit by bit, so it's easy to make sure it blends smoothly - no lumps.

Submitted by Gretchen Grant
Contributed on: Saturday January 21st, 2006 and modified on Thursday May 6th, 2010