Drip, Drip, Drip

• The muscle tissures of a chicken contain a high percentage of natural moisture, and even more if they've been lightly brined before cooking. When you apply heat to the chicken, the proteins in its flesh contract, causing part of that moisture to escape and collect in the pan. Those liquids pool in the bottom of the pan along with the fat that renders out of the skin, carrying a rich chicken flavor along with them. Ordinarily you'd strain off the drippings and cooking juices, skim off the fat, then thicken and flavor the drippings to make gravy. For a small meal of boneless chicken, that's not an option.

Buying Some Stock

• Investing in stock isn't just a financial concept, it's something every cook should do. Save and freeze the bones and trim pieces from your chickens until you have a quantity, then simmer them with onions, celery, carrots and herbs to make a rich broth. Alternatively, just go to the store and buy a premade chicken stock. Read the labels carefully and opt for brands that have relatively low levels of sodium and additives, but list the same kind of ingredients you'd use to make stock at home. With a good chicken stock in your freezer or pantry, you're ready to make passable gravy any time.

You'll Roux the Day

• Start your gravy by combining 2 to 3 tablespoons each of flour and butter or oil in a saucepan. Heat the mixture gently, stirring constantly, until it's pale golden in color and smells slightly nutty. That's called a "roux," a traditional French-style thickener that lets you thicken sauces without the flour clumping or tasting strongly of starch. This much roux will thicken approximately 1.5 cups of broth. Whisk broth into the roux, ensuring that it's thoroughly distributed. Simmer the gravy for 10 to 15 minutes, until it's fully thickened, then add salt and pepper or other flavorings as needed.

Go Country Style

• If you don't have any chicken stock on hand, a second alternative is to make dairy-based "country" gravy. This is especially good with breaded or fried chicken, two of its traditional partners. Prepare a roux just as you would for a broth-based gravy, but instead of chicken stock add the same amount of milk, half-and-half or whipping cream. Milk makes a lighter-tasting, lower-calorie gravy, while heavy cream makes the richest gravy. Simmer the gravy as you would with chicken gravy, but stir it frequently. Dairy-based gravy is prone to sticking and scorching on the bottom of the saucepan.