Taste and See: Bourbon, Bacon and Apple Cider

This past Friday was Seth's squadron Thanksgiving lunch, and I was signed up to make gravy for 50 people. As I was cooking, I realized that making gravy can be a slight hassle. In order to make it flavorful, you have to use the turkey dripping after the turkey is finished cooking. That leaves one juicy turkey sitting on the counter, and many hungry people all vying for a taste test of the bird while you are whisking away trying to get that gravy just right. My first gravy was too thick, mainly because I was distracted baking the turkey and side items. Gravy experience number two resulted in a thin gravy because the food was getting cold and my patient roommates were getting hungry. If I didn't have to wait on those drippings and was able to start the gravy sooner, I wouldn't have a problem with gravy!

Seth's lunch was a chance to experiment since I wasn't making a turkey. Bacon makes some great drippings and Seth enjoyed eating the leftovers. The smokiness of the bourbon really pairs well with the slight tang of apple cider. This recipe serves 10 people, or 8 if you're serving those who pour gravy over the entire plate.

Bourbon Bacon Gravy

1/2 lb bacon

Up to 1/2 cup butter, unsalted

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup Kentucky Bourbon

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup apple cider (unfiltered is best)

1 Tbsp onion juice (or 1 tsp onion powder)

Salt and Pepper to taste

-Fry up the bacon in a large cast iron skillet or dutch oven, reserving all bacon fat and drippings. Eat the bacon or make a BLT. If bacon fat measure less than 1/2 cup, then measure out butter to a total of 1/2 cup of fat.

-Heat the butter and bacon drippings and slowly add the flour, whisking constantly to make a roux.* Cook slowly on medium heat being careful not to burn. Once it gets to a peanut butter or chocolate color slowly add bourbon. Pour in remaining liquids and stir. Bring to a soft boil for 30 minutes. Add seasonings to taste. Simmer until dinner is ready!

-If gravy isn't thickened to your taste, make a paste of 1 tbsp cornstarch and a tbsp of liquid (I used leftover hot coffee) and stir into gravy.

*I prefer a darker gravy so I need my roux to be the color of chocolate in order to get that nutty flavor! It is really easy to burn a dark roux, so I cook it until it gets to a milk chocolate color and then turn off the heat. The residual heat continues to cook the roux to the perfect dark chocolate color. This requires A LOT of whisking and patience but it pays off. I stood over the stove whisking for almost an hour, however I was making large batch roux. The time depends on how dark you like your roux and gravy.