HOW TO MAKE GRAVY

      Title: HOW TO MAKE GRAVY
  Categories: Sauces
       Yield: 1 Servings
  
  
   ~---------RIDE THE GRAVY TRAIN--------------------------------------
   chicken or a light wine sauce to nap a seared steak, the basis for
   easy and wonderful enrichments for sauteed, fried or roasted dishes
   is what's left sticking to the bottom of the pan. The process of
   turning a messy-looking skillet into an ethereal, richly flavored
   liquid in a matter of minutes is called deglazing. That's because the
   brown bits are caramelized meat juices that escaped while the food
   was cooking. They will meld with the liquid, and can then be
   augmented with anything from salt and pepper to fresh herbs and lemon
   zest. It not only makes a great sauce, it also renders the pan
   virtually clean. The only caveat is to brown the food without burning
   the juices. Even if you start with high heat to sear a piece of meat,
   reduce the heat to medium high so that the juices don't burn. This is
   especially important if you are cooking food in batches. The first
   round of beef cubes might be fine at high heat, but keeping the heat
   there will burn the brown bits as quickly as the tropical sun will
   scorch a fair-skinned person. The first step to deglazing is to
   degrease the pan. If you were pan- frying, pour the grease into a
   measuring cup, and see if any meat juices sink to the bottom. If
   there is a layer, carefully pour off the grease, reserving the liquid
   at the bottom to add to the sauce later. If the food was sauteed,
   there won't be enough juice to worry about, so just dispose of the
   fat. You now have a choice to make. Do you want to saute a chopped
   onion, a few shallots, or a clove or two of garlic as part of your
   sauce? If so, add some fresh butter or oil to the skillet and saute
   the vegetables over medium heat, stirring frequently. The moisture in
   the vegetables will start to coax the brown bits off the bottom of
   the pan. Then add whatever liquid you are using, with the pan over
   medium high heat. Your liquid can be stock, wine, fruit juice, water,
   cream or some combination. The basic amount for a deglazing sauce is
   1/2-to-2/3 cup for a 10- or 12-inch skillet. Raise the heat to high
   and stir the liquid, scraping it all across the bottom of the pan to
   dislodge the brown bits. You want to boil the liquid down rapidly
   until it has reduced in volume by 1/2. It should have an almost
   syrupy consistency. When it has a syrupy consistency, lower the heat
   to low and taste the sauce for seasoning. You can stir in some fresh
   or dried herbs, a bit of salt, if needed, or a few grinds of pepper.
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