Recipes

Cream Gravy

Recipe No. 516 from the U.S. Army's WWII cookbook — Sauces. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Army TM10-412 · Sauces

Serves 2 gallons 100 servings, ⅓ cup each.

Recipe No. 516 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Sauces. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

  • Fat from cooked meat — 1 pound (½ No. 56 dipper)
  • Flour, sifted — 1 pound (1 No. 56 dipper)
  • Milk, evaporated — 8 — 14½-ounce cans
  • Water (for milk) — 1 gallon (4 No. 56 dippers)
  • Salt — as needed
  • Pepper — as needed

Directions

Key ingredients

Evaporated Milk

  1. Pour clear fat from roasting or frying pans where meat has been cooked, allowing brown particles to remain in pan. Measure fat.
  2. Return the 1 pound (½ No. 56 dipper) measured fat to pans; add flour and stir until smooth.
  3. Mix milk and water; heat.
  4. Add hot liquid gradually to flour and fat, stirring constantly.
  5. Heat to boiling point; boil 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Fat from cooked meat — 1¼ oz Flour, sifted — 1¼ oz Milk, evaporated — ⅔ can(s) (14½ oz) Water (for milk) — 1¼ cups Salt — to taste Pepper — to taste

The amount of salt depends upon the seasoning of the meat. Milk requires more salt than water or seasoned stock.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 516, Sauces. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.