Darken Gravy Tricks & Gravy Enhancer Recipes

How to Darken Gravy:

Last minute “in a pinch” fixes…

• Instant Coffee Granules
• Soy Sauce
• Dark Molasses
• Cocoa
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Gravy Enhancers like Kitchen Bouquet, Gravy Master

Recipes for Prepare Ahead Homemade Gravy Enhancers:

Kitchen Bouquet Copycat Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups water

Directions:

• Cook brown sugar slowly in a pan on stovetop till it burns, stir slowly throughout entire cooking process.
• Once the brown sugar turns dark brown in color, add the water. Bring to a boil, stir well.
• Remove from heat after sugar is near black in color.
• Once cooled, seal in sterilized jars or small bottles. Use as needed, normally just a few drops at a time will do the trick.

Burnt Sugar Caramel Darkener (Idea similar to above)

Ingredients:

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 TBS water
1 cup boiling water

Directions:

• Cook brown sugar and the 2 tablespoons water over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
• Slowly add boiling water and continue cooking until mixture becomes syrupy (approximately 15 minutes).
• Bottle and use as needed.

Dark Roast Flour for Roux & Gravy Thickener

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

Directions:

• Roast flour in oven, stirring frequently to brown evenly. Process will take several hours, brown until the color of light cocoa.
• Store in airtight container and use as needed.
• Use for gravy thickenings and making roux, the roasted brown color of the flour will darken the gravies.

Caramel Powder Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups brown sugar

Directions:

• Line baking pan (10×15x2 inches) with foil–make sure to line sides as well by folding foil up and over edges.
• In a large nonstick saucepan or frypan, cook sugar over medium-high heat. Shake pan frequently until most of the sugar is syrup, approximately 10 minutes.
• Reduce to medium heat and continue swirling the syrup until all sugar is dissolved. After 3 to 5 minutes the color should be a deep, rich amber.
• Pour hot syrup into the foil lined pan, spreading into a thin layer. Be very careful, it’s HOT! Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes.
• Once completely cool, lift caramel out of pan and remove foil. Break caramel into chunks.
• Using a food processor, grind chunks down into a powder.
• Store in an airtight container.
• Add to gravies as needed for darkening

You can also cook your spices in with the syrups and roasted flour if you’d like, or simply add at the time you are preparing your gravy (preferred method).

When making gravy with roux:

Brown roux to the colour that you want your gravy to be, the roasted flour (recipe above) helps achieve the color more quickly.

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