I really hated working in restaurants. It was long hours, physically demanding, always hot next to the stove, and an old boys’ club environment. I had worked in restaurants for many years and never enjoyed my days until I had the honor of being saucier. I was lucky enough to work my way up through prep station, salad station, a short time in sauté station because, frankly, I was bad at it, and then finally saucier. At first I was a little worried. Would I get bored with just making sauces? Would it be too hard making all of the sauces for the restaurant? Would I enjoy all the math that went into calculating the amounts I needed (yes, really, I was in charge of that, and if I calculated wrong, I lost the restaurant money… no pressure)? But it turns out I absolutely loved it.

Being a saucier was like magic to me. I felt like a scientist combining flavors to make a delicious new sauce or making an emulsion from ingredients that typically wouldn’t go together. And it was probably a little bit of an ego thing too, since everybody loves a sauce and it can make or break a dish. It was the most fun I have ever had in restaurants, and ever will, because I had the freedom to try crazy new sauces.

Some of my favorites to make were the gravies. In fall and winter, I got to experiment with not just normal gravies, but unique flavors, from Southern-style gravies to this lemon pepper gravy. It was a fun twist on a classic that I still love to experiment with to this day. This lemon pepper gravy came about because we had an extra batch of lemons one week that needed to be used, so I added them to the gravies, paired with freshly ground pepper, to make an absolutely amazing combo that is still a favorite to this day. If you love gravy and want to try a fun twist, you are going to love this.

Slurry vs. Roux:

For this recipe I use a cornstarch slurry in place of roux for thickening the gravy. A slurry is a combination of water and pure starch that is then whisked in at the end of cooking to thicken a sauce. A roux is where you combine fat and flour that is cooked in the pan at the beginning of the cooking process to thicken a sauce. It takes a bit more time than a slurry does, taking more time to thicken the sauce and cook out the raw flavor of the flour.

Traditional gravy is cooked with a roux, so if you would like to do that you totally can. I would use the ratios from my pan gravy recipe for the flour and technique and eliminate the cornstarch slurry at the end if you choose to go that route.

• Chicken Drippings or Butter – The rich, flavorful base of the gravy. Drippings from the roast add the most depth, but butter works great too.
• Onion, Celery & Carrots – This is the mirepoix used to help flavor the gravy. Omit if you don’t have one of these ingredients for a less rounded gravy.
• Pepper – Freshly ground black peppercorns is best for this recipe! I love using a coarse grind for more flavorful lemon pepper gravy.
• Dry White Wine – Deglazes the pan and adds complexity. I love sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. Chicken stock can substitute if you prefer no alcohol.
• Chicken Stock – Forms the base of the gravy. Vegetable stock works as a lighter substitute.
• Thyme – Adds a subtle earthy, herby note. You can also use rosemary for a stronger flavor.
• Tamari – Adds a deeper savory note and richness along with umami. Use soy sauce if you can have gluten.
• Cornstarch – Thickens the gravy to the right consistency. Arrowroot powder is an awesome swap. You also can use flour and make a roux instead of a slurry. See above section for instructions on how to do this.