The Unexpected Flavor Enhancers Your Thanksgiving Gravy Needs

A good gravy can go a long way when it comes to making your Thanksgiving feast the best meal it can possibly be. The classic topping to many great Thanksgiving foods is quite versatile. But because of its plentiful uses, ensuring your gravy has a strong, rich flavor is vital. While there are plenty of unique gravy recipes and variations that are worth looking into, sometimes you don't need a complete overhaul of your status quo. Instead, you can simply add a few new ingredients to your gravy to make it even better.

We here at The Takeout recently asked Russell Kook, executive chef at The Belleveue and all-around gravy expert, what he recommended we add to our gravy on Thanksgiving to give it that flavor boost it deserves. To that, Kook gave us two key ingredients he uses in his gravy recipe to bolster the delicious topper to make it all the more enjoyable. "Two unexpected flavor enhancers I swear by are black garlic and kombu," Kook revealed.

Black garlic and kombu are two ingredients that aren't necessarily staple items in most homes across America, but their powers — both individually and combined — might call for that to change. While it shares the same name, black garlic doesn't taste much like your typical garlic and was actually created back in 2004 by Scott Kim. Black garlic's tangy, rich taste has grown in popularity in the years since and its unique profile is the perfect contributor to your favorite gravy. "Black garlic lends a deep, caramelized sweetness that feels almost luxurious," Kook explained.

On the other hand, kombu is a type of seaweed that will add nice depth to your gravy, as well. Kook says that kombu "infuses the gravy with an earthy umami kick" that truly elevates the gravy (not to be confused with a sauce) in a way few other ingredients can accomplish. While the often-misunderstood food descriptor umami might leave you curious about how kombu would work with your gravy, Kook reassured us that both kombu and black garlic work as a perfect combination of flavors for the sauce. "They create a rich, layered flavor profile that takes your gravy to the next level."