Gluten-Free Lactose-Free Gravy?

[greencat]

Does anyone have a decent recipe? I'm willing to get whatever alternative flour is recommended, and I suppose I could actually buy the lactose-free milk to cook with for this...

[Outdoor Girl]

Corn starch rather than flour?  Check to make sure it is GF, though, since some brands might be packaged in facilities that also process wheat.  I always mix the corn starch up in a slurry before adding it to my pan drippings and potato and/or carrot water.

I do use a product called Bisto for gravy that I'm quite sure is NOT GF but you could just use whatever spices you wanted to add.

I've never used milk in a traditional gravy for meat so I can't help you with the lactose free part.

[Auntie Mame]

1) Whatever basestock  you are using

2) Use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour.  We used that this year to make the Thanksgiving Gravy, no one could tell the difference

3) Unsweetened soy milk (don't use rice or almond, too sweet).  I used unsweetened soy milk in the past to make a vegan gravy (with a base of veggie broth and cashews pureed) and it worked great.

[greencat]

Thanks Auntie! I know sometimes non-wheat flours don't work the same on a structural level as wheat flour does - does that flour work well in cornbread too?

[Outdoor Girl]

I find the all purpose gluten free flours work great in baking that has a lot of natural moisture, like carrot cake, pumpkin loaf and banana bread.  You add a little Xanthan gum with it for loft and a little extra liquid (like a tsp per cup of flour).  So if your corn bread includes canned corn, like some I've seen, it should work just fine.  If it doesn't, I've substituted all purpose flour with corn flour 1:1 with good success.

[veryfluffy]

I use Kallo stock cubes (which are GF anwyway) added to pan drippings, a splash of wine, and then thicken with corn flour. I've never heard of using milk or butter in gravy. How would you normally make gravy? Perhaps we can suggest substitutes depending on what you would normally use.

[CakeBeret]

Whisk cornstarch and water together. Whisk into your base (pan drippings, broth, etc) and add a dash of wine if you like. Cook until it gets thick. I do this all the time for my GF mom. If you want a creamy gravy you can add almond milk or another type of milk, but it's just as good with just cornstarch and pan drippings.

[greencat]

My usual gravy involves making a blonde roux, then mixing in the stock (in this case, it will be turkey pan drippings including wine used to baste) and milk if I want creamy gravy (which, usually, I do.)

[Auntie Mame]

Thanks Auntie! I know sometimes non-wheat flours don't work the same on a structural level as wheat flour does - does that flour work well in cornbread too?

Bob's redmill has a cornbread mix that is divine.  So is the cake, the cookies, the bread.  It's pretty much the only brand I use.

[cicero]

I never use milk or flour in gravy - I use pan dripping/juices, add homemade stock or water if needed and thicken with cornstarch or potato starch.

[sweetonsno]

Thanks Auntie! I know sometimes non-wheat flours don't work the same on a structural level as wheat flour does - does that flour work well in cornbread too?

This might be a regional vocabulary thing, but I would never use corn starch in place of flour for baking. In the US, corn starch refers solely to the thickening agent. It wouldn't work for baking. For cornbread, I use cornmeal. Corn starch is only the starch. Cornmeal is made of the entire kernel. They aren't interchangeable. Cornmeal in gravy would add a grainy texture.

Anyway, I agree with the vote for corn starch. Arrowroot also works. Make a slurry of your starch of choice and cold liquid, mix until lump-free, then pour into the bubbling liquid (probably your drippings and juices). Taste and season as you like.

[Morrigan]

Thanks Auntie! I know sometimes non-wheat flours don't work the same on a structural level as wheat flour does - does that flour work well in cornbread too?

The bob's red mill GF all purpose flour works good in everything I've used it for so far. 

[sparksals]

I have never heard of milk in gravy either.

[mechtilde]

If cornstarch is a problem, you can use potato starch/flour in the same way. It tends to be used in Central European cooking, so if you are having problems finding it, try a deli specialising in that cooking.

[greencat]

Nope, corn-anything isn't a problem, just gluten and lactose.