Grandpa Joe's
Chicken Pan Gravy

The perfect accompaniment to Roast Chicken (or Roast Stuffed Turkey).

About this recipe

To me, a roasted meat is not complete unless it is accompanied by a sauce or gravy.  The secret to making a rich and flavorful sauce, I submit, is to use everything the roasted meat has left behind as it cooks in the oven.  This includes the meat drippings, at least some of the fat, and the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.  The only caution is that the amount of flour added should be equal to the amount of fat used.  This creates the perfect roux, which then becomes the base of the sauce.  Using stock instead of water simply adds even more flavor to the final result.

Ingredients

  • liquids from the roasting pan
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 4 tablespoons fat drippings (or unsalted butter)
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Once the roasted chicken has been removed from the oven, drain the remaining liquids into a glass container.  Allow the fat to settle as much as possible and pour off the stock (top layer) to another container.
  2. Add the stock back to the pan, turn the heat to medium-high, and with a whisk or wooden spoon, get the remaining drippings and liquid moving around to deglaze the roasting pan.  (See Notes.)
  3. In a two-quart saucepan, add 4 tablespoons of the fat drippings (bottom layer); or enough fat drippings and unsalted butter to make 4 tablespoons.  Warm the fats over medium heat and whisk in the flour to create a roux.  Cook the roux for 3 minutes.
  4. Add the deglazing liquid from the roasting pan and 2 cups of the commercial or homemade chicken stock.  Stir to combine.
  5. Bring to a boil and stir until the broth thickens into a light-brown gravy.
  6. Add the remaining 2 cups of the commercial (or homemade) chicken stock (in ½ cup increments) until the desired consistency is achieved. 
  7. Season with salt and pepper.
  8. Remove the gravy from the heat and pass it through a fine-mesh strainer before serving.

Notes

  • If less than ½ cup of stock is removed from the roasting pan, add more commercial (or homemade) chicken stock to compensate.
  • The total amount of chicken stock added will vary depending on the desired final consistency of the gravy.
Posted: October 2014.