Copycat KFC Gravy with Fluffy Mashed Potatoes
By Victor Lang
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Servings
4
Level
Easy
Cooking butter and flour for 2 minutes to form a blond roux helps remove the flavor of raw flour in gravy. Adding bouillon slowly to hot gravy before serving allows gravy served with mashed russet potatoes and coarsely ground black pepper to have a seasoned taste.
I cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces to help them cook evenly and let them drain well before adding them to the pot and cooking for 1 minute. Letting the potatoes drain helps absorb excess moisture from the potatoes. Heated milk and butter added to the cooked potatoes make flaky mashed potatoes that absorb more gravy.
The roux needs a heavy saucepan and wire whisk. I cook the roux to wet sand texture and light color, then add boiling stock, not cold liquid, and whisk thoroughly (this is the key step). Cold stock can cause separation of fat from the roux, leading to a curdled, grainy gravy.
Stick a hole deep into the potato halves using the back of a spoon and serve gravy on them when they are hot. Gravy will spill onto the sides of the potato as you serve it. Other foods I like to serve with gravy include meatloaf and homemade bread stuffing. Gravy is also a complementary side dish for crockpot beef stew.
Why you'll love this recipe
- The two-minute roux thickens the gravy without giving it a flour taste.
- Boiling bouillon added to hot roux keeps the sauce from forming lumps. Black pepper stays evenly dispersed in the sauce.
- Russet potatoes have a good texture for mashing and a rugged texture that holds gravy.
- Readding boiled and drained potatoes to the pot for 1 minute helps remove some extra water and makes the potatoes easier to mash.
- Beef and chicken broth provide a fast-food taste to the gravy without the drippings from meat.
- The potatoes are cooked while you make the gravy. The entire meal takes 35 minutes to make.
Ingredients
- •2 lb Russet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) cubes)
- •salt (generous pinch)
- •¼ cup unsalted butter (57g, for the mashed potatoes)
- •½ cup whole milk (120ml, gently warmed)
- •¼ cup unsalted butter (57g, for the gravy)
- •¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- •1 cube beef bouillon (4g)
- •1 cube chicken bouillon (4g)
- •2 cups boiling water (473ml)
- •½ tsp coarse black pepper (1g)
Instructions
- 1
Put the cubed Russet potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat and cook for 12-15 minutes, until a fork easily pierces a piece and it gently flakes apart.
- 2
Drain the potatoes completely and return them to the hot empty pot for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup (57g) butter and 1/2 cup (120ml) warmed whole milk, then mash vigorously until fluffy and creamy with textured ridges.
- 3
Melt 1/4 cup (57g) unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour and cook for exactly 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until the roux looks like wet sand and is light golden.
- 4
Dissolve 1 beef bouillon cube (4g) and 1 chicken bouillon cube (4g) in 2 cups (473ml) boiling water in a separate heat-proof measuring cup.
- 5
Slowly stream the hot bouillon broth into the bubbling roux while whisking vigorously. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the gravy thickens into a glossy, golden-brown sauce.
- 6
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in 1/2 tsp (1g) coarse black pepper.
- 7
Spoon the mashed potatoes into bowls and use the back of a spoon to make a deep, wide well in the center. Ladle the hot gravy into each well and serve immediately while piping hot.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
385
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