A Fast, Easy Hack To Rescue Thin Gravy

Gravy is the most magical part of Thanksgiving. Besides enhancing every side dish on the table, gravy can also do double duty in covering up a dry-turkey disaster, like forgetting to brine your bird. But achieving the perfect consistency for gravy is a finicky task — while a splash of chicken stock can fix something that's too thick, what are you supposed to do when faced with the opposite problem?

Because we've all been in that (gravy) boat before. Instead of grabbing a new saucepan to start another batch of roux, do this instead.

Take equal parts softened butter and all-purpose flour, and mash them into a paste with a fork. Slowly whisk pieces of the paste into your gravy, letting it come back up to a boil until it reaches your desired consistency. As the butter gradually melts, it slowly releases the flour particles into the gravy without causing any clumps, and acts as a foolproof, stress-free thickener.