Give Gravy A Major Umami Boost With Just A Splash Of This

The secret to a delicious meal featuring pot roast, meatloaf, a holiday turkey, or even homemade poutine lies in the gravy. Why, you may wonder? Well, because a good gravy brings all of the table's dishes together.  Some might argue that deglazing your pan with wine leads to the best gravy. Others swear by Wondra flour, rich turkey stock made from giblets, as well as relying on fresh ingredients. However, we have another ingredient in mind, and chances are it's already sitting in your pantry. Make room for soy sauce. 

In an exclusive talk at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF), James Beard Award-winning chef and FIELDTRIP founder JJ Johnson confirmed that a splash of soy sauce can give gravy a delicious umami kick. "I would recommend adding soy sauce to gravy," the chef told Chowhound. "I would add it in at the end and I would treat it like salt."

Soy sauce is often used as a substitute for salt, and it contains about 85% less sodium by volume. It's still a salty condiment, though. As per JJ Johnson, stirring just a few drops into your gravy at the very end can give you better control over how salty the final product tastes. Even that small amount is enough to boost the gravy's savory notes, giving it a richer, complex, and more satisfying taste. With that depth of flavor taken care of, it's just up to you to ensure your gravy's texture comes out smooth. Johnson gave us a tip on achieving that, too.

This little trick won't do much good if you don't avoid the most common mistakes you might be making with your homemade gravy, like messing up the roux. "Remember, either your roux's got to be hot, or your roux's got to be cold," JJ Johnson told us. "Your roux can't be hot, and your stock can't be hot because it's going to make the roux break."

He emphasized that you've got two choices: either whisking cold roux into your hot stock, or whisking cold stock into your hot roux. (For the smoothest results, reach for a whisk rather than a wooden spoon.) Whatever you prefer, make sure to whisk the two ingredients constantly to avoid unwanted lumps. And if lumps still appear despite your best efforts, just pour the gravy through a fine-mesh strainer, and throw the lumps in the trash.

Remember, if you end up with too much gravy, there's absolutely no need to throw it away. One alternative is to pour it into an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to two days. If you're not planning to use it anytime soon, feel free to freeze it for up to three months. However, if you would rather use it right away, why not turn it into a rich, flavor-packed condiment by whipping up some gravy mayonnaise. All that wonderful, savory umami you get from the soy sauce makes every drop of gravy worth keeping.