Good Gravy! No, Really...

When people ask me who my inspiration was to become a chef my answer is always my Mom. But it's not for the reason you 'd think. My Mother, God bless her, is not a good cook. Growing up I often ended up being the one who started dinner. Or finished dinner. Heck, I'd even end up cooking the entire meal sometimes. So yes, my Mom can be credited as my inspiration to becoming a chef.

The reason I begin with this story though, is because there are a few things that she makes that are really wonderful-which sort of always confuses me-but nonetheless they are tasty. The first being meatloaf, followed by garlic roasted pork with sauerkraut and gravy. Yes, gravy...the one thing that many cooks seem to always ruin but my cooking impaired Mother can easily whip up. So, growing up, I always thought of gravy as one of the "easy" things to do. And really...it is.

The other day a friend of mine asked if I had a recipe for gravy. The honest answer was "no". I just make it. I pour off some fat, add some stock and seasonings and thicken it with a slurry of cold stock and cornstarch. Taste, adjust seasoning, taste and strain. Voila! Gravy.

My explanation was met with a blank stare. Gravy is not as easy as I think it is. Which leads me to this post...here is a technical recipe for gravy-with measurements and everything! The disclaimer of course being that I have not actually used said recipe because, well...see above.


Pan Dripping from whatever it is you are roasting
Enough Stock to make 3 C. of Liquid when combined with Pan Drippings
*If you are making beef, use beef stock, poultry, use chicken stock...
2 T. Cornstarch
1/4 C. COLD Stock

Optional: Onions, Rosemary, Garlic
1. Drain most of the fat from the pan drippings then pour them into a measuring cup. Pour in enough stock to measure 3 C. when combined.

Optional:
If using onions, garlic or rosemary, saute them in a saucepan with a little olive oil until translucent. Pour stock mixture over and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid and return it to the saucepan. Continue onto step 2. **You can do this step while your meat is still in the oven. Simply add the drippings later if you'd like to save time.

2. Pour liquid into saucepan and heat just to a boil. While this is heating, combine the cornstarch and COLD stock in a small bowl stirring until there are no lumps. This will become your "slurry".

3. Once stock is heated, whisk in the cornstarch slurry in a steady stream. Allow gravy to thicken with the boil until for about 30 seconds then remove from heat. Season with salt & pepper.

The key to no lumps is two fold: Using a COLD slurry (with no lumps) and whisking it in a steady stream until it thickens. If you follow these steps, you *should* end up with a nice smooth gravy every time.

Turkey: 101

How much turkey do I need to cook?
Typically, you should plan for 1 pound of turkey for every guest. This can change however, if your family are particularly big eaters, or if you want more leftovers. If that is the case, increase your estimate to 1.5 pounds of turkey per person.

How long do I have to defrost this turkey for?!
The rule is that every 5 pounds of turkey needs 24 hours to defrost in the fridge. It is very dangerous to defrost a turkey any other way-regardless of who told to otherwise.

What temperature to I have to cook the bird to?
Everything that ever had wings must be cooked to 165 degrees. Period. Do not rely on the pop up thingy that comes with your bird. Invest in a meat thermometer and use it. Calibrate the thermometer before testing the bird by setting it in ice water for a few minutes and making sure it reads 32 degrees.

How long do I cook the turkey for?
This question is very hard to answer, because cooking temperatures vary greatly based on ovens and location. However, use the following as a general rule, and modify it to your needs accordingly.

Stuffed
6 to 8 pounds 2½ to 3½ hours
8 to 12 pounds 3 to 3½ hours
12 to 14 pounds 3½ to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 4 to 4¼ hours
18 to 20 pounds 4¼ to 4¾ hours
20 to 24 pounds 4¾ to 5¼ hours

Cooking your turkey at 325 degrees is ideal.

How To Make Perfect Mashed Potatoes

You might think that making mashed potatoes is almost as easy as boiling water. But how many of us has had lumpy spuds or mashed potatoes so gloopy that they could be used as wallpaper paste? I won't go as far to say that there is an art to making a good batch, but there certainly are a few things you can do to help yourself become the Mashed Potato Master...

Here are the secrets:

1. The Potato:
Use Russets or Yukon Gold Potatoes-or, for best results, use both!
Russet potatoes are high in starch and make a less gluey dish.
Yukon Golds are an all purpose potato with a yellow flesh and a buttery flavor
*Use 2 pounds of potatoes to yield 4-6 servings.

2. Cooking Method Counts:
For best results, cook your spuds WITH THE SKINS ON!
This method allows the potatoes to retain their starch and nutrients
It also prevents the potatoes from being waterlogged
*Scrub and wash the taters, cook them in salted water, peel & chop them while hot.

3. The Mixers:
Use 8 Tablespoons of MELTED butter for every 2 #'s of potatoes
Use WARM Half & Half: 1 Cup for every 2#'s should do ya

4. The Execution: Ricers, Food Mills, No-No's and when to add the stuff

A. To make the smoothest mashed potatoes, use a potato ricer or a food mill. As a chef, my preference is a Food Mill. They are a bit pricey, however and a ricer produces a similar product for less money. Squish your spuds in either device while hot.
*Using a potato masher is not recommended...this produces what you call "home-style" potatoes-which is a nice way to say: Lumpy. Also, using a masher may overwork the starch in said potatoes therefore creating...glue. NEVER use an electric mixer of any kind when working with potatoes. Unless of course, you are wallpapering your kitchen, and need something to hang it with. :)

B. Add the melted butter first. This will coat the starch molecules which will help prevent a gloopy mess. Yes, that is a professional culinary term. After you've added the melted butter, slowly add the warm 1/2 & 1/2 by folding it in gently. Season as you like after this step. I recommend salt & white pepper.