Gravy?

[munchkinette]

Next week will be my first gluten-free Thanksgiving. How do I make gravy? Everyone in my family swears by Wondra flour, which I can't eat. What alternatives can I use that won't gross other people out? I'd rather have fresh gravy and not premade stuff, but I'm willing to consider it if it's decent.

Dang, it's going to be hard to avoid the stuffing. I'm not even going to try to duplicate that.

[sparkles]

I use corn starch. There is a recipe on the box. I have NEVER had lumps or gravy that has not turned out. The only difference is that the gravy is shiny on the surface. I never had luck with flour gravy so started making gravy from corn starch years before dx. Good luck!

[mamaw]

ditto on the cornstarch!!!

[lonewolf]

Sweet rice flour works great too - and it doesn't lump!

As for the stuffing, it can easily be made with gluten-free bread. There are several other Thanksgiving threads in the Baking and Cooking Tips section and several suggestions for stuffing. I'm making gluten-free stuffing for the 8th or 9th time now and I serve it to my guests and get nothing but compliments.

[mamazoocrew]

I use corn starch. There is a recipe on the box. I have NEVER had lumps or gravy that has not turned out. The only difference is that the gravy is shiny on the surface. I never had luck with flour gravy so started making gravy from corn starch years before dx. Good luck!

Shiney surface:

That may be the fat floating on the surface (sorry, I know it sounds gross). The trick is to pour the drippings into a plastic ziplock bag, the fat floats to the top. Cut a small hole in the bottom of the bag and let the juice out. Pinch the bottom of the bag before the fat flows into the pan. Also remember to dissolve the cornstarch in cold water before you add it to the gravy so you won't have lumps!!

[tarnalberry]

I didn't know you *could* use wheat flour for gravy for the first 18 years of my life - and I didn't know about gluten free until I was 25! We always used cornstarch (make a slurry of cornstarch and cold water first, then add to the juice and bring to a simmer - the directions are on the package too), and now I also like using sweet rice flour.

[NoGluGirl]

Next week will be my first gluten-free Thanksgiving. How do I make gravy? Everyone in my family swears by Wondra flour, which I can't eat. What alternatives can I use that won't gross other people out? I'd rather have fresh gravy and not premade stuff, but I'm willing to consider it if it's decent.

Dang, it's going to be hard to avoid the stuffing. I'm not even going to try to duplicate that.

Dear Munchkinette,

Cornstarch is great, as the others said. There is a trick so it does not clump. You take about 1/4 cup of lukewarm water and stir the cornstarch in either with a whisk or chopsticks until nicely blended. Then you take it and pour that mixture into the rest. It will work out perfectly. I learned this from my Chinese cookbooks. I hope this helps you out.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[Guest nini]

I get the gravy packets from Road's End Organics that are labeled gluten-free... we mix that in with our drippings and chicken broth...

[jerseyangel]

Last year, I made gravy from a recipe I got from Gourmet Magazine.

It called for combining some of the fat from the turkey drippings with flour. I substituted potato starch and proceeded with the recipe. It was the best gravy I've ever had.

[StrongerToday]

Yep, cornstarch! And why not make stuffing - just use gluten-free bread or cornbread... yum!

[jerseyangel]

Oh yes--I forgot! Don't go without stuffing on Thanksgiving. Use gluten-free bread. I just this afternoon made a loaf of GFP French Bread that I'll use most of for my bread cubes. Gotta save a couple of slices for the turkey sandwich on Thursday night

No reason why we should go without our favorites--there's always some way to substitute.

[Carriefaith]

If I was going to make gravy, I would use cornstarch. Stuffing is easy, just more expensive. Just replace regular bread with gluten-free bread in your favorite recipe. Here is a good recipe to try:

Stuffing

4 shallots, minced (or 4 garlic cloves minced)

1 onion, diced (or minced in a food processor or blender)

5 small-medium celery sticks, diced (or minced in a foof processor or blender)

5 small-medium carrots, diced (or minced in a foof processor or blender)

3 tbl soy butter

1.5 Tbl dry sage

1.5 Tbl dry thyme

1.5 Tbl dry summer savory

1 Tbl Pasley (Optional)

dash of pepper

1 cup white wine (water is another option)

1 loaf gluten-free bread, cubed (I use Kinnikinnick Italian white tapioca, thawed) (toasting cubes in the oven is an option)

1 cup gluten-free chicken stock (I use 1 cup of Imagine chicken broth, or 2

cubes of McCormick chicken bouillon and 1 cup of water).

Optional: chestnuts, apples, raisons, cranberries, peacans.

Sauté the vegetables in the butter until they are soft, and the onions begin to carmelize. Add the seasonings and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the white wine, and continue cooking over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by half. In a casserole dish, mix all ingedients together. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 325 F.

[Sweetfudge]

i'm a turkey day noob...as far as making gravy, how much "drippings" do you need?

is there a difference in taste/texture using potato starch, sweet rice flour and cornstarch? just trying to figure out which one i should use...or maybe i'll make a small batch of each and go w/ the best one...lol