When Faith and Alex Province pressed Chris Prosperi for his most simple gravy recipe, this is the one he gave them. Chris adds a splash of Worcestershire sauce because he loves the depth it imparts, and balsamic for its acidity. Faith suggested the old British staple Marmite might add that savory umami note Chris loves so much. To sub it in, take out the Worcestershire, and add just a small amount—a little Marmite goes a long way. Taste as you go until you’ve got the flavor where you want it.
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Photo: Slice of Chic/Flickr, creative commons
| Servings |
| 4.5 cups |
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Even a basic gravy can save the day if your Thanksgiving turkey is a little on the dry side or you're looking to revive your leftovers. This is Chris's gravy of 2016. So simple, anyone can do it—whether this is your first Thanksgiving or your 51st. Oh, but don't just pull this one out on Thanksgiving; you'll want this for all your fall and winter roasts.
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- 1 cup red wine
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 4 tablespoons cold water (this is your thickener)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (you can sub in a scant amount of Marmite for this, 1/4 to 1 teaspoon)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter See Recipe Note
- Drippings from the sheet pan
- Place the red wine in a sauce pan over medium heat and simmer until reduced by half. Add in the 4 cups of broth and return to a simmer.
- Mix the corn starch with the cold water to make a slurry. While stirring the gravy, pour in the corn starch mixture to thicken. Remove from the heat and whisk in the Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt if needed. Stir in butter and any drippings you might have on the pan.
2 tablespoons is the minimum amount of butter Chris recommends. You can certainly add more. In fact, Chris has been known to use a stick in a quart (or more) of gravy, depending on how rich he wants it. For Thanksgiving, he'll go all out with up to a stick-and-a-half.
