ChefSteps is a team of chefs, writers, and food lovers who develop recipes, techniques, and guides to help people cook better at home.

ChefSteps

Turkey and pumpkin pie always steal the spotlight, but we think the real MVP of Thanksgiving is gravy. Whether you only put it on potatoes or drizzle it across your entire plate, you can’t deny the delicious magic of this sumptuous, savory sauce. While whisking is of the utmost importance (no one wants a taste of dry flour lumps and clumps), there are so many ways to thicken sauces—from roux and starch slurries to emulsification and even reduction. We’re unlocking the proper ratios of the two most common thickeners—cornstarch and all-purpose flour—to make gravy across the viscosity spectrum, from thin to ultra-thick.