Curried Sauce for Turkey or Chicken

This is the kind of gentle curry sauce you’d find in a British kitchen. Sautéed apple, onion, and garlic cook with curry powder, then get thickened with flour and loosened with chicken broth and cream into a velvety, golden sauce meant for sliced leftover poultry.

The apple is doing quiet work here. It breaks down during sautéing and adds a natural sweetness and body that thickens the sauce beyond what the flour alone provides. You won’t taste “apple” in the finished sauce, but you’d notice something missing without it.

Cooking the curry powder in butter for a full minute before adding liquid is what wakes up the spices. Raw curry powder stirred into a liquid tastes flat and dusty. A minute in hot fat releases the essential oils and deepens the flavor dramatically.

Pour this over sliced turkey or chicken, or use it as a base for a quick curry with leftover roast.

Pro Tips

• Stir the flour in thoroughly before adding liquids. Lumps of uncooked flour are nearly impossible to smooth out once the broth goes in.
• Add the broth and cream gradually, stirring constantly for a smooth sauce. Dumping it all at once leads to a thin, lumpy result.
• Adjust the curry powder to taste. One teaspoon gives a mild, family-friendly warmth. Double it for more kick.

Variations

• Fruity curry: Add raisins or mango chutney for a sweeter, more complex sauce.
• Coconut curry: Replace the cream with coconut milk for a dairy-free, Thai-leaning version.