How to make gravy from roast chicken, turkey, or lamb
Start preparing as the roasted beast is 10-15 minutes from coming out of the oven. Assemble on one side of the stove: gravy separator, saucepan, fork or whisk for stirring, one tablespoon for measuring flour and another for measuring grease/oil, wine, fruit juice, salt, pepper, gravy boat. Once you get going, you'll need to stand at the stove stirring and can't be looking around for ingredients.
1. Boil at least a cup of water in a teakettle or a microwave
2. Pour drippings (grease) from roasted chicken, turkey, or lamb into a gravy separator.
3. Add 1/2 cup boiling water into the pan in which the meat was cooked and stir with a fork to liquefy the flavorful stuff stuck there.
4. Put 3 to 6 tablespoons of grease/oil into a saucepan and heat over medium heat.
5. When oil is heated, start adding flour, one heaping tablespoon at a time, stirring each time until well blended and all lumps are gone.
6. Keep adding spoonfuls of flour until you have a thickened roux, more solid than the liquid.
7. Add liquid (with no or very little grease) from the gravy separator and/or the water-added pan, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until fully absorbed and smooth each time.
8. Once all the liquid from the roasted beast has been added, start adding wine (red or white) and fruit juice (orange juice or apple cider) in alternating half-cup infusions, stirring until smooth. Shift balance toward wine or juice to taste.
9. When the liquid is soupy and no longer seems thickened, add salt pepper to taste. Add other herbs if you choose.
10. Stir over medium, then lower heat until gravy thickens -- 10 to 20 minutes. If it gets too thick, add more wine and/or juice.