Is Gluten Free Gravy A Myth?

[FeedIndy]

I have found no gravy mixes in my shopping research. Today I tried a regular recipe of mine with rice flour instead of wheat flour. The meat that was breaded turned out great-I actually like it better. Except it was dry because my gravy is down the garbage disposal.

This is just a basic gravy made from pan drippings. I normally add flour and water, boil until it's thickened, and simmer with the meat for a bit. I never got the meat into it. The rice flour doesn't blend well with the drippings-it was just a clumpy greasy mess!

I didn't even use that much flour. I went with cornstarch for thickening, but it just turned out all wrong. Any ideas or suggestions?

My 10 month old is gluten free and I'm sort of practicing a few of my regular meals with gluten free substitutes so she can begin eating dinners with us instead of beside us.

[CarlaB]

I just use cornstarch and it works fine for me.

[eKatherine]

I have found no gravy mixes in my shopping research. Today I tried a regular recipe of mine with rice flour instead of wheat flour. The meat that was breaded turned out great-I actually like it better. Except it was dry because my gravy is down the garbage disposal.

This is just a basic gravy made from pan drippings. I normally add flour and water, boil until it's thickened, and simmer with the meat for a bit. I never got the meat into it. The rice flour doesn't blend well with the drippings-it was just a clumpy greasy mess!

I didn't even use that much flour. I went with cornstarch for thickening, but it just turned out all wrong. Any ideas or suggestions?

My 10 month old is gluten free and I'm sort of practicing a few of my regular meals with gluten free substitutes so she can begin eating dinners with us instead of beside us.

If you mix the water and flour cold, it will be fine. You may want to use a whip or a blender to do that.

You could have saved that lumpy gravy by putting it in the blender.

It's a learning process.

[Sweetfudge]

lol a big time learning process!

[lonewolf]

Rice flour making lumpy gravy? I've been thickening my gravy with either brown rice flour or sweet rice flour (just did it last night for Swedish meatballs) for over 10 years and haven't had lumps even once. My mom now uses rice flour in her gravy because it doesn't lump like wheat flour.

Did you actually add the water to the drippings and flour or give up before you got that far? I guess it does look a little strange when you mix it with the pan drippings, but it smooths right out when you add the liquid. I often take chicken broth, either homemade or from Trader Joe's, add rice flour and water already mixed together, and stir until it boils. Sometimes I'll misjudge and have to add more flour/water and it still doesn't lump. This makes yummy gravy too and I think it's easy.

Try again - I'd be REALLY surprised if you ended up with a finished product that was lumpy.

[2kids4me]

I use the gluten-free flour mix frOm kinnickinnick - I use it like I would heve used wheat flour in the past.

I have also used combination of potato flour and corn starch but I like the gluten-free flour gravy best

[FeedIndy]

It's definitely a learning thing, which is why I'm "practicing" right now. I'd much rather have something to scrap and replace for the rest of the family than end up with nothing for her. She's still eating baby foods and breastmilk for now, but I do want to introduce some table foods as she is getting older.

I added it directly to the drippings. It seemed to be going fine and then suddenly it separated out-there was a greasy film and the rest of the gravy was like a solid lump. I tried adding more water, but it didn't seem to mix in at all. Plus, too much more water and it wouldn't have had any flavor to it anyway. Maybe I added too much flour in the start, though I didn't add much at all and expected to thicken a lot with cornstarch.

I'll try again soon-the meat really was better with rice than wheat so it wasn't a total loss!

[penguin]

I make gravy the same way I always have with drippings. With ~2 Tbsp drippings in the pan, I sprinkle ~2-3 Tbsp gluten-free flour mix (I use brown rice flour-2 parts, potato starch-2/3 parts, and cornstarch-1/3 part) over it and cook that over medium heat for about 2 minutes, and then I add the liquid (milk, in my case, I have a different method for brown gravy) and whisk together, and constantly stir until boiling and thickened. So far, it's worked great!

For brown gravy, I make a slurry (cornstarch and water mixed together until smooth) and add that to the liquid and drippings and cook and stir...

[CarlaB]

For brown gravy, I make a slurry (cornstarch and water mixed together until smooth) and add that to the liquid and drippings and cook and stir...

Yes, this is what I do.

[jerseyangel]

I make gravy the same way I always have with drippings. With ~2 Tbsp drippings in the pan, I sprinkle ~2-3 Tbsp gluten-free flour mix (I use brown rice flour-2 parts, potato starch-2/3 parts, and cornstarch-1/3 part) over it and cook that over medium heat for about 2 minutes, and then I add the liquid (milk, in my case, I have a different method for brown gravy) and whisk together, and constantly stir until boiling and thickened. So far, it's worked great!

For brown gravy, I make a slurry (cornstarch and water mixed together until smooth) and add that to the liquid and drippings and cook and stir...

I do the same except I use just the potato starch--I'm sensitive to grains. It also works fine.

[elonwy]

The cornstarch is most likely what gave you the lumps. Like others have said, make the slurry first, with cold water. That'll prevent the cornstarch from lumping up on you. Cornstarch can be tricky at first.

The first time I tried a gluten-free gravy with cornstarch, it bombed. Of course I was expecting company, so I had to call my mom in a panic, and she walked me through the whole slurry thing, since of course I had just dumped some into the hot pan, expecting it to just mix right in. My mom used to be a chef, so she's handy in these emergencies.

Elonwy

[jenvan]

I sub sweet rice flour in a regular gravy recipe.

[penguin]

I sub sweet rice flour in a regular gravy recipe.

That works well, also. Sweet rice flour is more glutenous (not in the WBRO sense, just as a starchy grain) so it has good thickening power and smoothness.

[Ursa Major]

For brown gravy, I make a slurry (cornstarch and water mixed together until smooth) and add that to the liquid and drippings and cook and stir...

Since I can't have cornstarch, rice flour or potato flour, I use light buckwheat flour to do this, and it ends up fabulous, everybody loves the gravy.

[Nantzie]

Use Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour. I use it exactly the same way I always did flour to make gravy from pan drippings, and to make sauces like cheese sauce for veggies and for mac and cheese. I heard about it from someone on here who said that it worked great.

I didn't try it for a long time because I figured there was no way it would be that good, but it's amazing. Once I tried it I never looked back. It works perfect. It also refrigerates and reheats well. You don't get that gelatinized consistency that you get from refrigerated cornstarch gravy. And it doesn't seperate or get weird when you reheat it.

Nancy

[pinkpei77]

mayacamas also makes gluten-free gravy mixes.

turkey, chicken, brown , and savory herb flavors.

Open Original Shared Link

also road end organics makes vegan gluten-free gravy mixes.

Open Original Shared Link

[FeedIndy]

Thanks for all the advice! I will have to try the mixes soon. I really liked having something quick and easy to just add to my drippings for some recipes.

I made a slurry, but it just didn't work out for some reason. It wasn't so much "lumpy" as it was one great big lump with grease on top.

I'm sure by the time she's 2 I'll be a gluten free pro, but I'm so glad I have so many pros to count on as I learn!

[num1habsfan]

There are a couple kinda of gravy mixes i believe, that you just add water or whatever liquid you'd prefer to it...it makes the restaurant-type gravy (the dark brown)...Glutino is the one that i buy, I like ALL of their mixes...

~lisa~

[Nantzie]

I found gluten free gravy (ready to eat) at Safeway today. It was in their natural food section. Pacific Foods makes it. It was in a smallish box (like they use for soy milk). Three flavors - Chicken, Turkey and Beef.

I haven't tried it yet, but I may just have to make mashed potatoes this week so I can try it.

I checked Pacific Foods website and it's on their list of gluten-free foods.

Open Original Shared Link

I'm cool with making my own gravy, but sometimes you just want to open a package and get on with your life ya know?

Nancy

[4getgluten]

Orgran makes a gluten-free vegetable-base gravy mix. All you have to do is add water. I bought mine on Amazon. Check out their gluten-free goumet food items.

[skoki-mom]

I keep a tub of Bette Hagman's gluten-free flour mix on hand (recipe is in her books). I use it as a substitute for flour in gravy all the time and it turns out beautifully. No one can tell the difference when it comes to flavour and texture. Most dishes I prepare that also need gravy, I often have potatoes as a side dish. My mom taught me to use the water you drain off the potatoes to add to your gravy instead of just boiling water. It adds a bit of flavour and the potato starch helps thicken it up as well. Hope your next endeavour goes better!

[Nantzie]

Skoki - That sounds yummy!

Nancy

[BabySnooks]

I have found no gravy mixes in my shopping research. Today I tried a regular recipe of mine with rice flour instead of wheat flour. The meat that was breaded turned out great-I actually like it better. Except it was dry because my gravy is down the garbage disposal.

This is just a basic gravy made from pan drippings. I normally add flour and water, boil until it's thickened, and simmer with the meat for a bit. I never got the meat into it. The rice flour doesn't blend well with the drippings-it was just a clumpy greasy mess!

I didn't even use that much flour. I went with cornstarch for thickening, but it just turned out all wrong. Any ideas or suggestions?

My 10 month old is gluten free and I'm sort of practicing a few of my regular meals with gluten free substitutes so she can begin eating dinners with us instead of beside us.

Hi,

Whole Foods and Good Food Company both carry some delicious brands of gravy packets. If you still want to try homemade, the blender can take care of any lumpy problems.

Sharon

[tarnalberry]

Growing up, I wasn't gluten free at all, but didn't know, for 15 years!, that some people used wheat flour for gravy. We *ALWAYS* used cornstarch.

Always make a slurry first, and then use what you like - cornstarch, rice flour, or another flour. Some types won't work well - potato flour? I think? or it's the potato starch? I'd have to check a cookbook I have that specifically addresses what flours won't work for thickening (there are a few gluten-free ones that won't) but I don't know where the cookbook is at the moment.

[GlutenFreeGirlie]

I also like the Bob's all purpose flour for gravies, but sometimes I use this recipe. It's good and creamy (and dairy free!).

White Bean Gravy

Quick and simple to prepare. Gluten-free.

Ingredients:

1 cup Water, hot

1 tsp Vegetable Broth or Soup Base

1 pinch Pepper

2 Tb White Bean Flour

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, whisk dry ingredients into hot water until free of lumps. Bring to a boil while stirring; turn heat to medium-low and cook an additinal 2 minutes.