My gravy is better than your gravy.

If you’re looking for a fool-proof way to know – for sure – that it’s summertime, you came to the right place.

Here's the test: If you stumble upon a weekend that includes [but is not limited to] sunburns, fried chicken, fried okra… and gravy – it is officially [one hundred percent, is-orange-sold-in-Stillwater] summertime.

The goal of summer is to learn the basics – and lose 15 pounds [ha – jokes on me, right?]. But, it’s also my firm responsibility to act my age. So I don’t regret missing out on the How-to of fried chicken – driving those Western Oklahoma roads were sure worth it.

BUT. [read as: extremely excited] We did get back in time for gravy – making.

So here's how it works.


First, you make fried chicken. (Or in this case, your manfriend's mom makes delicious fried chicken.)


Then, you remove the chicken from pan and firmly threaten all standbyers that if they don't wait until dinner time and if they even think about touching the chicken before seated at the table - they'll be waiting for scraps with the dogs.

::Laughing:: Donna didn't say that - but she should have.

Ok, seriously. After you remove the chicken from the pan - leave the heat on medium-ish. You save just a little bit of grease (Maybe 3 or 4 tablespoons). Don't worry about the crumbs - they add flavor and texture to the gravy!




Next, add flour. I can't give you percise measurments. You just add until it's not soupy looking. Add salt and pepper. (Maybe I'm vanilla in this aspect - but I never add salt or pepper unless I've tasted it - you can always add more later.)

Then, add milk. The milk/flour combo allows the gravy to thicken - just like your grandma made it. So the more milk, the thinner the gravy.


Then. It's like magic. But - don't forget to stir the WHOLE time or then it will burn, and no one appreaciates a house smelling like friend chicken and burnt gravy.


I've decided cooking isn't hard. It just requires you to put your A.D.D. on the back burner, follow directions and go with your gut.

But here's the thing. I spent that last 19 years of my life in a classroom following directions and keeping my Abstract-Randomness at bay. Maybe they should have added "going with your gut" to the mix a little more.

::UPDATE:: They Boss's Boss (aka Melissa) sent over a Blogging Present! Check it out!

So a little note from the Cooking basics section:
"Cutting Boards: stock up on two. Reserve one soley for raw meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish and the other for ready-to-eat foods."

Did anyone else just wonder when they were ever going be cutting up shellfish?

Brooke
P.S. My apologies on the picture quality - I was so excited and the iphone was the closest camera.