Gravy can be made with any cooking base and liquid, including meats and vegetables for the base, and milk, cream, water, stock, broth, and more. Gravy is a popular dressing for numerous foods and is commonly associated with turkey served on Thanksgiving.

Most gravies, derived from the excess fat and juices from cooked meats, are high in fat and are therefore unhealthy. Gravy made from vegetables is more healthy than traditional meat based gravy and is preferred on lighter fare.

If you find that you do noeed to remove some of the fat from the gravy after making, a simple method is to wrap a few ice cubes in a piece of cheesecloth, then pull it back and forth over the surface. The fat will become hard and stick to the cloth when it comes into contact with it.

Contrary to the opinion of many inexperienced cooks, good smooth gravy is not difficult to make. The one important step to making lumpless gravy involves separation of the starch particles in the thickening agent. When flour or cornstarch is added directly to a hot liquid, the starch particles clump together and form lumps. Once formed, these lumps are difficult to eliminate, but they can be prevented by initially coating the particles with fat or by mixing the starch with a cold liquid.

Gravy is probably most commonly served over potatoes as an accompaniment to meat, but this is by no means its only use. There are many other foods that are especially delicious when served with gravy. Try hot gravy over a roast beef sandwich, and make it a hot entree serving. Mushroom gravy served over meat loaf converts it from a plain to a special main dish. In fact, spooning the gravy over any meat dish makes the meat seem more moist.