The Simple Addition That'll Take Rich Gravy Up A Notch

Quite often, we're disappointed with store-bought gravies, as they can be overly rich or need a little doctoring up to make them taste delicious or homemade. Sometimes, we feel the same way about basic gravy recipes. After all, the core component of gravy is fat, such as butter, heavy cream, and/or meat drippings, and fat can taste a bit one-note.

Chef Billy Parisi agrees and feels we can always take gravy from basic to brilliant with an addition. He suggests sprucing our homemade or store-bought gravies up with a pop of acidity. "I almost always finish all my sauces with a bit of lemon juice. It can calm any bitterness from a sauce and it greatly brightens it up to make it more delicious," the chef tells us.

But how exactly does lemon juice enhance gravies? Parisi explains, adding, "It first helps to balance out the sauce's flavor and almost always brightens it up, making it more succulent. It'll hit you in the cheeks, leaving you to immediately want another taste." In other words, the acidity from the lemon juice cuts through the indulgence of the richness and fats in the gravy. The result is more balance in flavor and lightness on one's palate, rather than one-noted heavy richness. 

To incorporate Chef Billy Parisi's tip the next time you're serving gravy, note that when you add the lemon juice matters. As the chef states, he finishes his sauces with lemon juice, meaning you want to add it in at the end. Let's say you're heating up store-bought gravy in the saucepan. Once it simmers, squeeze in fresh lemon juice, give it a good stir, and remove the saucepan from the heat. Adding acidity too early cooks out the tartiness. Hence, when you're adding other tart ingredients, like vinegar, you would also want to add it toward the tail-end of cooking. 

If you're making the sauce from scratch, like our simple chicken gravy recipe or even our creamy country gravy recipe, you would also incorporate fresh lemon juice at the end, after achieving your desired thickness. Additionally, for those who love to pucker their lips or enjoy the brightness lemon brings, you can't go wrong with garnishing the gravy with lemon zest prior to serving. We would even recommend having lemon wedges handy for those who wish to add even more brightness and tanginess to their rich gravies at the tableside. Finally, for those who wish to experiment further, try adding a splash of a pantry-staple condiment for the best gravy ever.