I am a sucker for a big ol' serving of country gravy. Put this comfort food classic on fried chicken, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, or biscuits, and I'm already licking the plate clean. While the process to make white gravy is relatively straightforward, everyone and their mother has a unique and special homemade white gravy recipe. Some cooks say the only way to make white gravy is with bacon grease drippings while others tend to make their milk gravy with melted butter. An argument can be made for how to thicken the gravy as well -- Do you use a roux with all-purpose flour or cornstarch to thicken the white country gravy?
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Is there a difference between white gravy and country gravy?
It's a dish of many names. White sauce, sawmill gravy, country gravy, and white gravy are all the same sauce! Even sausage gravy can fall in this category because it is milk or cream-based.
Lyndsay Cordell
The real difference is between brown gravy and white gravy. While both are delicious, brown gravy is usually made from meat drippings and is usually thickened with cornstarch. White gravy on the other hand is sweeter and is usually based on a roux built from fond and fat of the pan. Country gravy can also be flavored with spices such as garlic powder or cayenne for a kick!
I Tried The Pioneer Woman's White Gravy and Chicken Fried Steak Recipe and Wow!
This week for dinner I prepared The Pioneer Woman's chicken fried steak and white gravy for my husband and I. While this white pepper gravy was a bit darker than what I would consider a white gravy, I couldn't find anything to fault it on. I did make a few minor adjustments.
Lyndsay Cordell
To make the gravy, I poured out some of the frying oil and added in some all-purpose flour, and cooked the mixture over medium heat on the stovetop until it was a nice golden color. I turned it to low heat and added some heavy cream and whole milk and stirred it with a silicone whisk until the easy white gravy reached the desired consistency. You can always add more cups of milk if you like your gravy runny, but I prefer mine thick! Add in your salt and black pepper to taste and serve with delicious meals such as hash browns to even pork chops and chicken tenders.
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