Creole Gravy For Roast Poultry Recipes

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook sausages in oil until a thermometer reads 160°. Remove sausages, reserving drippings. When cool enough to handle, cut sausages in half lengthwise, then into 1/4-in. pieces; set aside. , Saute onion, garlic and peppers in drippings until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, basil, sugar, hot pepper sauce, bouillon, chili powder, pepper, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add to the cooked rice. Stir in ham, shrimp, if desired, parsley and sausage; mix lightly. , Just before baking, stuff the chicken with about 3-1/2 cups stuffing. Place remaining stuffing in a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish; cover and refrigerate. Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan; tie drumsticks together. Combine paprika, pepper and remaining salt; rub over chicken. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1-1/2 hours, basting every 30 minutes. Cover and bake 1-1/2 hours longer or until juices run clear. Bake additional stuffing for the last 40 minutes of baking time, uncovering during the last 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Pour fat from drippings into a bowl and reserve. Whisk flour into remaining drippings left in pan; mixture will seem dry. Add 2 tablespoons reserved fat, or as needed, to the drippings mixture to combine with flour.
• Place pan of drippings mixture over low heat and toast flour until light brown and mixture gives off a nutty fragrance, about 5 minutes.
• Drizzle about 1/3 cup cold chicken stock at a time into pan drippings, whisking each addition of stock into mixture until thoroughly combined. Continue whisking, scraping any browned pan drippings from the bottom of the pan into gravy; bring to a simmer. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until gravy is thick and flour has combined with the liquid, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Adjust thickness of gravy; if too thick, whisk in a little more stock. If gravy is too thin, continue to simmer, whisking constantly, until reduced and thickened, about 10 more minutes. For the smoothest texture, strain gravy before serving.