Gravy is traditionally made by scraping up all the delicious browned bits from a roasting pan, but sometimes you want gravy even if you haven’t roasted anything. That’s where this recipe for a rich, meaty, and subtly sweet pan gravy comes in. Just fry some shallots in butter, whisk in flour and cook for about a minute, throw in some Marsala wine, broth, and cream, and cook down for about 10 minutes. Voila—delicious, roast-free gravy achieved.

This recipe was featured in our Thanksgiving for Six menu. For dripping-derived versions, check out our Easy Turkey Gravy and Bourbon-Cream Turkey Gravy.

  • Yields: About 1 1/4 cups
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 45 mins 
  • Active: 45 mins 

Ingredients (8)

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
  • 3 medium shallots, medium dice (about 1 cup)
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
  • 2 cups stock or low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until foaming. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 15 minutes.
  2. Add the flour and whisk constantly until the flour is no longer raw-tasting, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium high, add the Marsala, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute.
  3. Whisk in the stock or broth and cream and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a small saucepan or serving dish, taste, and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.