How to Make Chicken Maple Gravy

Maple syrup offers an unexpected flavor surprise in chicken gravy by adding a touch of sweetness to an otherwise savory dish. As with any recipe that calls for maple syrup, chicken maple gravy tastes best when made with true maple syrup rather than imitation syrup that has artificial flavors and preservatives. Chicken maple gravy begins as a simple sauce made with equal parts butter and flour to which chicken stock is added. While additional seasonings enhance the gravy, such as onions, shallots, rosemary or thyme, maple syrup is the only other ingredient needed for chicken maple gravy.

Things You'll Need

• Butter or margarine
• Plain flour
• Whisk
• Chicken stock
• Maple syrup
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Melt your butter or margarine in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Listen for the sizzling and bubbling to stop. This is the moment when the water in the butter has evaporated and the browning begins.

2. Add an equal amount of flour immediately and begin whisking to form a thin paste. Cook and stir the flour and butter mixture until it begins to darken slightly.

3. Pour in the chicken stock while whisking constantly. If you are using 1/4 cup of butter and flour, add about 2 cups of chicken stock. Turn the mixture up to medium-high and keep whisking as it cooks. If it becomes too thick, add more chicken stock. If it is too thin, let it boil down until it reaches the desired thickness.

4. Remove the sauce pan from the burner and add the maple syrup to the gravy. Add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavor of the maple syrup and serve warm.

Tips & Warnings

• Vary the maple gravy by using turkey stock instead of chicken stock.

• If low-fat gravy is your goal, try whisking the flour into a small amount of cooled stock until well blended and all lumps are gone. Add this mixture to the rest of the stock and heat until it boils and thickens, stirring constantly.

• Chicken maple gravy is typically thickened with flour, but try cornstarch if that is what you have on hand. A couple tablespoons of cornstarch thickens about 2 cups of stock. Mix the cornstarch in a little of the cooled liquid until it dissolves and then add this back to the rest of the liquid. Cook and stir until it is the consistency you want and then add maple syrup.

• Watch the flour carefully as it browns. If you let it get too brown, the gravy will taste bitter.

• Allowing the water to evaporate from the butter before adding the flour decreases the risk of lumps. The flour needs to toast lightly in the fat before any liquid touches it or it will gum up and be more difficult to cook.

• If your gravy becomes lumpy, finish cooking it and then run it through a blender. Do this in batches if necessary, then re-heat the gravy.