I want my kids to know how to make the Five Mother Sauces.

We make a pretty good marinara. We do a nice blender Hollandaise.

Gravy is a necessity to learn how to make well.

It’s very versatile. It goes with meats, starches, even a soup/stew base.

Our basic easy recipe is a great starter for a flavorful gravy.

You can add herbs, wine, beer, or other ingredients to make it unique to your tastes.

I do use pan drippings from a roast meat with a fat separator, but otherwise I use good quality stock in a neat little box.

Directions:

Begin with a roux of melted fat and flour until dry and almost crispy.

Add ketchup, mustard (preferably Dijon), Worcestershire. Trust me.

Quickly add stock and whisk – or beer, wine, whatever liquid you’re making that goes with your meal. You really don’t need more than a total of 2 cups.

For a nice brown gravy, I use 1 cup beef stock and 1/2 cup chicken stock.

For poultry gravy, I use all chicken or turkey stock. I usually add some half and half to this one.

Add more liquid if it gets too thick too quickly.

The key to shiny gorgeous gravy is whisking well over low heat until thick then straining out solids and adding just a pat of butter to melt before serving.

As you become more confident, you can experiment with what works and tastes good to you.