Chicken Gravy.....it won't stay thick!
 

I like homemade Chicken and Biscuits or Chicken and Noodles. For some reason, over the last few years, I can get the gravy to thicken but then it turns watery. I like to add milk to the boiling stock so that it is creamy in nature. What am I doing wrong here? I make a slurry of flour, cornstarch and water to add to the stock and it starts to thicken, but then goes thin. Should I thicken the stock first and then thin with some milk? I wonder if the glutin in the flour is not what it used to be. I never had this problem years ago. Should I thicken the stock and then add the milk? It still tastes good, but it is Chicken and Noodle Soup instead of Chicken and Noodles with gravy.

I have that same problem. Thanks for posting the question and I hope someone out there knows the answer.

I don't know the answer but when I thicken something for gravy, I first mix just flour and water to make almost a paste but not that thick. Then I mix it with some of the broth from whatever I am cooking, trying not to get lumps. Sometimes it takes a bit to get it thick enough. The only difference I see between yours and mine is that you also use corn starch and I don't.

When I make homemade chicken gravy, after frying the chicken, I drain most of the fat off and add flour or cornstarch to the drippings and make a roux. You want it to be a golden brown. I pour as much milk as I need to make the gravy and use a wisk and stir and bring it up to a good rolling bubble (not boil) then turn it down to a simmer but still keep an eye on it. it is usually the last thing that goes on the table. As far as the chicken and noodles go, you may have too much stock or water on it. Just use milk or cream to your flour or cornstarch (equal parts). When you add the slurry that has thickened and then put it into more liquid, it has no choice but to thin.

When my husband makes home made soups - pea soup - potato soup - etc and wants the soup to be thicker, he adds instant mashed potatoes, waits awhile and adds more depending on how thick he wants the soup to be. the potato flavor tastes great.

Boiling cornstarch will cause it to break and go runny.

I have never made the sort of gravy used for biscuits, it sounds like from the above comments to similar to a white sauce or the base used to cheese sauce.

I always make a roux when I make gravy. The last couple years I have used rice flour instead of wheat flour or corn starch when making gravy. It takes longer to thicken, but works really well and the gravy does not break.

You do need to boil your cornstarch/liquid combination for the cornstarch to be able to do its job and thicken the liquid. All my recipes that use cornstarch as a thickener tell you to mix the cornstarch with cool or room temp liquid, stir into your pot, and then bring to a boil and cook until thickened.

Here are some tips for working with cornstarch...maybe one of them will give you a clue to why your gravy thickens and then gets watery...the one about stirring gently is interesting as is the one about overcooking...
http://voices.yahoo.com/tips-cooking...h-8774599.html

No idea why the cornstarch/flour aren't working well, but you could add an egg yolk or two to your milk, whisk well and add to your stock; that should make a difference. Good luck!

Thank you for this link. I think I was over cooking and over stirring. I don't like to make a roux because it adds more fat to the gravy and I am trying to eliminate as much fat from my diet as I can while still keeping top flavor. I boil the chicken then skin and debone.:thumbup: