Turkey Gravy

Thanksgiving is only a week away. And this year, KitchenDaily wants to make sure you've got everything just right by offering a primer on everything basic, beginning with classic turkey gravy. In an episode of KitchenBasics with the Culinary Institute of America, the CIA's chef Katherine Polenz offers a step-by-step demonstration of the gradual process, explaining the science of thickening sauce along the way. Follow Polenz's flavor-enhancing advice (like her secret ingredient) and important visual cues (such as how to know when the gravy's thickened), and you'll be guaranteed to have a smooth, complex sauce that's as much the talk of the table as the turkey. For the instructional video and recipe head to KitchenDaily.

The holidays are supposed to be a relaxing time spent with family, but there's nothing relaxing about ruining a dinner that you've toiled over for hours or days. So to help you out during the season, we bring you our new Thanksgiving Troubleshooting column.

One of the biggest turkey day blunders is gravy — probably due to the fact that it isn't exactly regular meal rotation. If your gravy's runnier than water, begin by simmering the sauce over medium-high heat, stirring it frequently with the lid off in an effort to reduce the water content.

If you don't see results within 10 minutes, whisk in a couple tablespoons of roux of equal parts flour and water, continually stirring over medium heat to cook off any starchy flavors. Worried about a last-minute disaster? Then try a recipe for make-ahead gravy — or, if all else fails, there's always cranberry sauce as a condiment.

Worried that your turkey's too dry? Gravy's too lumpy? Bread doesn't rise? Then write us in the YumSugar Community to get that problem solved!

Source: Flickr User Ben30