Ah, gravy — it may not be the flashiest thing
on your kitchen table, but it is one of the most important.
Roast turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes are all good on their own,
but if you really want to take your holiday meal to the next level, you need a decent gravy.
Whether you're the kind of person who uses a light-handed splash on your potatoes
or someone who drowns everything on your plate in a sea of liquid gold,
turkey gravy is an integral part of Thanksgiving dinner.
While you can buy it premade in a jar, you can also easily whip up homemade gravy. Most
gravy recipes require similar ingredients, like turkey drippings or stock for flavor
and all-purpose flour for thickening. However, there's recently been a new trend in gravy-making.
According to Delish, a lot of people are adding a special ingredient to their gravy
that you likely would never have thought to use, but it's one you should consider trying.
"Can you guys keep a secret?"
"No!"
"Yes."
The secret ingredient that could take your gravy
to the next level is something you probably already have in your pantry.
Delish reports that people are mixing soy sauce into their holiday gravy.
While the idea of soy sauce in a gravy destined for roast turkey may seem odd,
it actually improves your gravy in an unexpected way. Soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans with
water, wheat, and salt, a process that gives it a dark color and distinctive, complex flavor.
So why add it to gravy? Soy sauce is a potent source of umami, which means "pleasant savory
taste" in Japanese, and a boost of umami flavor adds noticeable heartiness to dishes.
Adding a splash of soy sauce is also a great tip for those making a vegetarian or vegan
Thanksgiving meal this year. Because soy sauce is made without animal products,
it's an especially ingenious way to improve the flavor of vegetarian gravy,
giving it a certain meaty and hearty taste that it might otherwise lack.
So how much soy sauce should you add to your gravy recipe? It turns out you don't need much.
Southern Living suggests starting with just a tablespoon. After adding the ingredient,
taste the gravy and, if you'd like more, mix it in a little at a time.
Delish shares that the goal is not to add so much that your gravy tastes like soy sauce,
but to add just enough to enhance your gravy, giving it a greater "depth of flavor."
J. Kenji López-Alt shared via Serious Eats that for his gravy, he uses soy sauce earlier in the
process, while making stock. First, turkey trimmings and giblets are combined with
vegetables, herbs, and store-bought or homemade chicken broth. López-Alt adds only a teaspoon of
soy sauce to the pot, then simmers the ingredients for over an hour to make a "fortified stock." This
stock is then whisked into melted butter and a little flour to make a thick and flavorful gravy.
If you don't have any soy sauce in your pantry, the good news
is there are other ways to give your gravy a more savory, umami flavor.
According to Delish, one product you can substitute is bottled Worcestershire sauce,
which is also known for its strong and salty flavor. Vinegar-based Worcestershire sauce
is made with molasses and tamarind, which give it sweetness and a distinct flavor.
However, because it's also made with anchovies, it can't be used for vegetarian or vegan gravies.
Serious Eats also reports that Marmite is another "umami bomb" that will boost gravy flavor.
Marmite, and its Australian cousin Vegemite, are brown pastes made from brewer's yeast,
a byproduct of beer making. Marmite is salty with a strong smell and funky flavor.
One more way to add umami to your gravy — whether vegetarian or meat-based — is with mushrooms.
MasterClass says that using mushrooms like shitake and Portobello in your cooking is a
good way to add umami flavor. The Vegan Mushroom Gravy recipe from The New York Times combines
Portobello mushrooms and soy sauce to create a gravy with a rich, brown color and loads of savory
flavor. So try adding soy sauce, or one of these other "umami bombs," to your gravy this holiday!
"Try it -- you'll like it."
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