This is what I do:

After I've sauted whatever it is I'm making gravy for, I remove it from the pan to a plate to keep warm. There are little browned bits all over the bottom of the pan, and usually some oil/fat from what I was frying, as well as some of the spices and herbs.

If there doesn't seem to be much oil/fat in the pan, I add a little more. I always make a lot so it can be used later, so several tablespoons of fat is what I'm looking for. Usually I add butter.

Then, I rub flour into the contents of the pan, until I have a thick paste. That means about as much flour as I have pan contents.

Then I brown it a little, to keep it from tasting like raw flour. I continue to rub it across the bottom of the pan to keep it from burning and to make sure all the flour comes into contact with the fat. The browner it gets, the deeper the flavor of the gravy will be.

Then, if I want a true gravy, I add a little broth (chicken or beef, depending on the meat--either is fine for pork, but I found out the hard way that "fish gravy" is not a thing to try to make), stirring/mashing constantly with the metal spatula. Then I add milk and start whisking until it boils, for a total liquid content of probably 2 cups. However, using this method, if it looks too thick as it cools, you can easily add more liquid of your choice--broth deepens the meat flavor.

If I want a clearer gravy, or a "veloute" (French for velvet), I stick with broth or broth and wine, with no milk. The same principle holds: I can always add more liquid.

This is the best way I've found to get a good, flavorful lumpless gravy. The method I learned growing up of making a paste in a jar with a little flour and milk and then putting the lid on and shaking and then boiling it with the pan juices still makes gravy, but it's not as flavorful and tends to be lumpy.
Source(s):
Too many hours spent watching various cooking shows
Too many hours spent reading cookbooks
Just enough hours cooking


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