Ham Gravy -- The Meal Bill Made When He Finally Understood

Back on the farm after Thanksgiving. The post-holiday week: turkey soup from the stock I kept back, the quiet return to the winter routine, December arriving in three days. The turkey soup was straightforward and good — the stock that went into it had been made from the roasted carcass, which Carol sent home with me in a bag along with the remaining dark meat. The soup fed me four days. The cycle completes itself correctly when you use all of it.

December coming means Christmas coming. I've been doing the mental preparations: the tree will go up this weekend, the cookies will start this week, the lamb reservation is already made at the Hendersons' for the third year running. There's a difference between these preparations now and in the early years: I'm doing them because I want to rather than because I'm determined to manage. The determination was necessary. This is easier than determination. This is just looking forward to something.

Bill from Maine called on Sunday. He had a good Thanksgiving — his daughter drove up from Portland and they cooked together, the second year in a row. He made a maple-glazed ham because he didn't want to attempt the turkey and it was apparently very well received. He said: I thought about your farm. I said: what about it? He said: I thought about how you described the first Thanksgiving you had people back at the table. I said: yes. He said: I think I understand that now. I said: yes. You do.

When Bill told me about the maple-glazed ham — how he’d made it instead of the turkey, how his daughter had driven up from Portland and they’d cooked it together — I thought about what goes along with a ham like that, the kind of gravy you make from the drippings in the pan while everything is still warm and the kitchen still smells like the meal. That’s the recipe I keep coming back to this week: ham gravy, straightforward and good, the kind of thing that uses what’s already there. It felt right to write it down.

Ham Gravy

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup ham drippings (from a roasted or glazed ham)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken or pork broth
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (optional)

Instructions

1. Collect the drippings. After roasting your ham, pour the pan drippings into a small saucepan or keep them in the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop. You want about 1/4 cup of fat and drippings.
2. Make the roux. Whisk the flour into the drippings over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and lightly golden and smells nutty.
3. Add the broth. Slowly pour in the broth while whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Keep whisking until fully incorporated and smooth.
4. Add the milk. Pour in the milk and continue to whisk over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
5. Season and thicken. Stir in the black pepper, salt, and onion powder if using. Let the gravy simmer for 4—5 minutes, stirring frequently, until it reaches your desired consistency. It will thicken further as it stands.
6. Taste and serve. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt as needed. Serve warm over sliced ham, biscuits, or mashed potatoes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 95 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 7g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 380mg