About Jay Beeone

Recipe Creator, Cook Book Collector, Dish ware collections include Anchor Hocking Green Glass Jadite, Jane Ray, Everything Hall including Autumn Leaf, Tulip, Shaggy Tulip, Hall Red Poppy, Crocuses, Rose Parade

Flour Thickening Method for Traditional Turkey Gravy

How to use Flour for Thickening  Traditional Turkey Gravy

Tools Needed:

Approximately 2 cup container with a tight fitting lid

Strainer

Ingredients

3/4 to 1 cup of cold water

2-3 Tbsp of all purpose flour or I also use Wondra

Fill the glass or plastic container about half full of cold water and place 2-3 tablespoons of flour in to the water. Close tightly and shake to thoroughly blend.  Inspect the mixture; if lumpy, pour through a strainer into the heated sauce pan (or roaster pan).  Tip:  If you shake the jar vigorously the lumps will all disappear.

Next add the mixture to the boiling juices.

Immediately upon adding the flour and water mixture, stir the juices while gently boiling to thoroughly blend the mixture into the gravy. Repeat for thicker gravy. This step may be done 2-3 times depending on how much gravy is being thickened.  Allow the gravy to cook while stirring as this is what creates the thickening.

Caution: After adding the flour/water thickener and cooking it into the juices, check consistency before adding more of the flour/water mixture. Putting in too much flour and water at once, without stirring it in, will make a gravy too thick to serve. (You will know if it is too thick because it will have the consistency of a pudding, not a gravy).  Also, too much thickener can make the gravy taste like flour; adding seasoning will correct the flavor.  Gravy will thicken as it cools.

Delicious Turkey Gravy Made From Scratch,

Traditional Thanksgiving Day Turkey Recipe

Broiled Zucchini Recipe-Vegetable Main Course or Side Dish

A broiled zucchini with olive oil and herbs is a secret weapon in my dinner faire.  This vegetable is often avoided due in part to the many restaurants that use it so poorly.

One of the funnier lines I remember from Charles Osgood’s CBS Sunday Morning TV Show is about “something or someone being harder to get rid of than a zucchini in season”.   That line  paints a funny picture doesn’t it?  As a youngster I recall a neighbor at church passing out free zucchini from his car trunk, yet still having bushels full left over from the bounty grown in his garden. His plea, “Oh, please take some more” was not lost on our home chef.  My mother’s meals during harvest season included every variation of zucchini from breads and muffins to casseroles and stews.  The frozen packages for later use, lasted all year long.

Recently while watching Jacques Pepin’s “Essential Pepin” on WTVS in Detroit, I saw many uses for the zucchini.   Jacques recipes using olive oil and garlic have introduced me to so many delicious vegetable dishes, I find myself shopping more and more at the Produce Palace Market.  On a recent shopping trip, I thought I would try my hand at cooking some Zucchini.

Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients

3 medium zucchinis, 8-10 inches long

Colavito Olive Oil

Lawry’s Pinch of Herbs Kopy Kat Seasonings

Instructions

Start with slicing the washed zucchini lengthwise about one quarter inch thick.  I cut up about three  medium sized ones for two people as a main dish.  I use a mandolin for uniform thickness.  I do not peel the zucchini.

Lay them out on a cookie sheet, as many pieces as will fit.

Drizzle or brush Mediterranean Blend Colavito Olive Oil over the top of each one.

Season individually with a Pinch of Herbs  and put under a 550 degree F broiler until done.  I’ve cooked them several ways; varying the time  from 4-5 minutes to 7-8 minutes.  The longer time gave a crusty appearance.  It is easy and quick.  The flavor is just delicious.

 

 

Ham Gravy Recipe-How To Make Gravy From Baked Ham

Last year’s Easter Dinner included a Ham Gravy that was gone after the first pass around the table.

I never made a gravy from ham juices before 2011, but the one I did make is now on everyone’s request list.  Here is how I make it.

I start with a half ham, shank portion…(does not really matter what cut the ham is)…

Score the outside surfaces about 3/8 to 1/2 inches deep in a criss-crossed pattern.

Cut a fresh pineapple into 1 inch thick chunks

Fresh Cut 1" Thick Pineapple Slices

Fresh Cut One Inch Thick Pineapple Slices

about 1-1/2 inches by 1-1/2 inches

Fasten them to each square block of the scored ham with a tooth pick.  I used about 16 to 20 tooth picks to cover all the outside exposed surfaces; (of course not where the ham was resting on the pan surface.)

I then fastened maraschino cherries in between the pineapple chunks using an entire 4 ounce bottle of cherries and about another 20 tooth picks.

Next I inserted clove stems everywhere possible using about 1/4 container of clove stems (about 28 pieces).

Next I poured about one liter of Vernor’s sugar sweetened Ginger Ale over the ham and baked it in a 325 degree oven for 3-1/2 hours.  If you can’t find Vernor’s, add 1/4 teaspoon of dried ginger to a liter of any dry ginger ale.

The baking process yielded about 3 quarts of liquid with an aroma of ginger, cloves and of course ham.  The secret seemed to be in what was done next.

Pour off the liquid, including scrapings into a large enough saucepan, and boil to reduce to thicker sweet syrupy mixture.  Thicken more by using corn starch, food starch or your favorite thickener. You can add orange juice soaked raisins or cherries.

Ham Juices Reduced To Delicsious Gravy

Ham Juices Reduced To Delicious Gravy

When poured over the top of ham, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes or squash, this ham gravy garnered many, many compliments.  

Other side dishes:

Sweet Potato Casserole Like Cracker Barrel

Green Bean Casserole