Teff Gravy

Teff gravy made with chicken stock

     Any starch will thicken a liquid, but different ones give different textures. I have tried a lot of different starches, and in my opinion teff flour is the best gluten-free choice for making gravy. Besides having a very mild, pleasant flavor of its own, teff produces a gravy that has very much the texture of a conventional wheat gravy. An added bonus is that teff is just the color to make gravy look even darker and richer. Sorghum flour is a good choice too: simply substitute 1/2 c. sorghum flour for the teff flour in this recipe.

     ¼ c. oil (or fat from pan drippings, if available) See Oil in the Glossary

     ½ c. teff flour

     3 c. beef or chicken stock—or watery part of pan drippings, if available 
          (See Broth, beef or chicken in the Glossary)

     salt  (See Salt in the Glossary)
     black pepper (See Spices in the Glossary)

     Heat the oil in a pan; then add the teff flour and fry it, stirring constantly, until it smells toasty and loses its raw-flour character. Whisk in the stock and bring it up to boiling, stirring constantly.  Add salt and pepper to taste. If needed, gradually stir in  more liquid to adjust the thickness to your taste, bringing the gravy back up to a boil after each addition.  Remember that gravy thickens a bit as it cools on the table. 

     If you are planning to use the gravy in a meat pie, remember that gluten-free pie crusts can get soggy more easily than wheat pie crusts do and keep the gravy on the thick side.

     Gravy can turn surprisingly thick and gelatinous in the fridge. This is normal. To serve it again, just reheat, whisk and add a bit more liquid if necessary.