Does anyone have a (from scratch) turkey gravy recipe to share?

[Susan C.]

Hi!

I usually cheat and get jarred gravy for the turkey. But I got this awesome turkey at Whole Foods on sale and, well, its more worthy than jarred gravy with who knows what in it. And the one I like doesn't exist anymore. I had to drive an hour to WF and won't be going back just for gravy (stupid me for forgetting)... so I guess I need to make it. Help... Gravy has never been my thing. I can't use the drippings because I put water in the bottom of the turkey pan and it steams and bakes. I am making chicken broth today, so that will be available. I can use corn starch, flour, or arrowroot powder to thicken. Only foolproof, and extra points for it being able to be made ahead. Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[KrissiK]

Well, I'm not an expert gravy maker, but I make a roux with flour and butter ahead of time. Then, I get the giblets from the turkey (not the liver, though) and make a broth with those, some celery and carrots and onion and chicken bouillon. Strain that. You can make that ahead of time, too. Then take the broth, add the drippings from the turkey when it's done and bring to a boil, then add enough of the roux to thicken it as you like. I've only been making it like that for a couple of years, but it does make good gravy.

[Belacqua]

This is what a couple of chefs from my favorite radio show had to say:

 

Gravy 

Tom Douglas: I like to use the giblets in the gravy, but strain them out. I don't need chunks of giblets and gizzards in my gravy. The other thing I like is a color in my gravy. So I always roast my turkey with sliced onions that brown up, and coffee beans in the cavity, so it adds this kind of dark aromatic juice to the gravy. Then you have a really beautiful dark brown gravy.

Thierry Rautureau: I think one of good parts is if you have time between now and Thanksgiving is to make a nice little stock because that stock would make a much better gravy.

 

 

And I agree with Angi that your chicken broth should be just fine. 

[Tammi K]

How much water do you use when you make your turkey? While the turkey rests, you can reclaim that water with the added turkey drippings, skim the fat if you desire, and put it in a sauce pan and reduce it. (You can even add the giblets, neck, etc to add flavor while it reduces) Add a bit of white wine if you use it or you. Meanwhile, mix several tbs flour with cool water. Make a lump free slurry. When your broth is reduced and concentrated to your taste, strain it to remove giblets, etc. place back in sauce pan and slowly add flour water mix as you stir. When it is thickened sufficiently, cook for a few minutes to remove raw flour taste. Add s/p and maybe a squeeze fresh lemon to brighten the flavor.

[Laurie4b]

I make a roux with butter and flour. 1 tablespoon of each for every 1 cup of turkey broth.  I have recently bought one of those contraptions which separates out the fat from the broth, which I like to use. So I first figure out how much broth I have, because that's how much roux I'll make.

 

So for 3 cups of gravy: Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Add 3 tablespoons of flour and whisk together until it gets bubbly. Slowly add turkey broth (just a 1/4 cup or so at a time at first until the flour mixture is well incorporated and it's becoming mostly broth.  then you can dump in the rest. Stir well. Heat until it's the thickness you prefer. I like to add just a touch of thyme for flavor. I let people add their own salt. It's  perfect every time this way. No lumps.

[LucyStoner]

I'm contemplating turkey gravy without drippings and it's a painful thought. Sorry. I do pretty much what Tom Douglas recommends. If you have to have water in the pan, I'd do what Tammi suggests though I might reduce the water and add white wine to the pan.

[ThisIsTheDay]

Yes!  Easy, delicious, and foolproof, and believe me, I'm evidence of that!!  This has worked for me for the past three years, and you can even make it ahead of time. I can't remember where I originally found it; Food Network, perhaps?

 

Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

1 T. oil
reserved turkey neck and giblets, minus the liver (too strong!)
1 onion, chopped
4 c. low sodium chicken broth
2 c. water
4 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
1 bay leaf (optional)
4 T. butter
6 T. flour
salt and pepper

 

Heat oil in large pot (that you'd use for spaghetti) over medium high heat and brown giblets and neck for five minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 mins. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 mins.

Turn heat back to high, add chicken broth and water, scrape pan bottom, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, add herbs, simmer 30 mins., skimming if needed

Pour broth through fine mesh strainer. Discard whatever is left in strainer. Broth can be made in advance and refrigerated for two days.

Melt butter in large pot (I used the same pot) over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until honey-colored and fragrant, about 4 mins.

Add broth to roux, a little at a time, whisking in each addition. Simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 mins. Set aside, covered, until turkey is done (or can refrigerate for an additional day).

Directions say: Scrape up bits in roasting pan and pour drippings into fat separator.

What I do: Pour drippings into big measuring cup and scooped off top layer as best I could.

Reheat gravy and add drippings. Simmer for two mins. until thickened. (I have a note that I usually add 1 c. of drippings but you can add more. ) Season with salt and pepper; serve with turkey.

[lovinmomma]

:lurk5:

[dbmamaz]

I agree that the best part of the gravy is the drippings.  I would try to gauge your water in the roaster so that there is not going to be more than a cup or two left at the end, and use those drippings/water, boil neck and/or giblets in it, add some bullion if you can, i thicken w corn starch slurry, but whatever.  the most important part is the drippings, really.  

[Susan C.]

You ladies are wonderful. Those all sound wonderful, and no problem to make. I do put a lot of water in the bottom of the pan, it speeds up the turkey and makes it really moist.  I have about a gallon of chicken broth cooling now, made by boiling a whole chicken w/onions, celery, and carrots, so I can use it for the gravy, and the homemade stuffing.

[Susan C.]

.

[LucyStoner]

Another trick for a moist bird is to roast it upside down so that the juicy parts baste the dry parts while it cooks (essentially letting the fat from the dark meat trickle down to the drier white meat.) Then flip the bird at the end to brown the top skin.

[nmoira]

Another trick for a moist bird is to roast it upside down so that the juicy parts baste the dry parts while it cooks (essentially letting the fat from the dark meat trickle down to the drier white meat.) Then flip the bird at the end to brown the top skin.

I'm spatchcocking the turkey this year (14lb bird).

 

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/11/how-to-spatchcock-cook-turkey-thanksgiving-fast-easy-way-spatchcocked.html

 

ETA: Not practical for larger birds.

[Evergreen State Sue]

My ratio for butter, flour and broth is 2 T. butter, 2 T flower, to 1 cup broth.  So depending on how much broth you have or want to use, use that2-2-1 ratio.  Melt butter in skillet, add flour and incorporate with the butter to make a roux.  Let it bubble for at least a minute.  It will remove the flour taste and browning will give it a nice flavor.  Slowly add the broth stirring to incorporate without making lumps.  If the gravy is too thick, you can thin it with more broth.  Drippings from the turkey add a nice flavor, but if you don't have it, this makes a nice gravy. 

[LucyStoner]

I'm spatchcocking the turkey this year (14lb bird).

 

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/11/how-to-spatchcock-cook-turkey-thanksgiving-fast-easy-way-spatchcocked.html

 

ETA: Not practical for larger birds.

I had no idea that there was another name for it than butterflying. You learn something new everyday. I have done that general procedure and it works well.

[PeterPan]

Ok, now I need to know.  Where did you find the steaming idea and does it really work?  I'm googling it and Jacques Pepin is turning up... I usually brine my birds, but I'm always open to new ideas!

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/dining/steamed-turkey-the-jacques-pepin-way.html?_r=0

[Slartibartfast]

I think I will just see if I can get some turkey necks and make a bit of stock from those for gravy.

[Susan C.]

Ok, now I need to know.  Where did you find the steaming idea and does it really work?  I'm googling it and Jacques Pepin is turning up... I usually brine my birds, but I'm always open to new ideas!

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/dining/steamed-turkey-the-jacques-pepin-way.html?_r=0

 

That is how my dad made the turkey. Got a 20+ pound turkey finished before midnight, and oh, it was good. My turkeys are smaller, and I don't get enough practice, but this is what he did:

 

475 deg. 1st hour

425 deg. 2nd hour

350 deg. 3rd hour til end

 

Covered with vents closed. On a rack. Chicken broth or water in the bottom (I experimented with water, and it worked just as well), an inch or so (about one cup). in cavity salt, pepper, sage, thyme, garlic, celery, onion. Rub oil and more salt and pepper on outside. We don't put stuffing inside a turkey. Last two times when I took the lid off to brown, the turkey was finished.... so unbrowned... better than dry. It is much faster, so watch closely. Like 3 1/2 hours for a larger turkey some times, but more other times (don't know why). I remember him getting nervous when it finished early and hollering at mom to get the other stuff done, lol. I just read about a thermometer with an alarm? I might need one.

 

For smaller turkeys, I take out the first 475 deg. step.

[Susan C.]

.
 

[Susan C.]

I'm spatchcocking the turkey this year (14lb bird).

 

http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/11/how-to-spatchcock-cook-turkey-thanksgiving-fast-easy-way-spatchcocked.html

 

ETA: Not practical for larger birds.

 

I've done this with whole chickens, and it works well. But yes, you need a very large baking sheet and rack!

[Susan C.]

Oh and BIL deep fat fries his turkey. Can we say lots of oil??? He says it is really good.

[nmoira]

I've done this with whole chickens, and it works well. But yes, you need a very large baking sheet and rack!

 

Yup. I had to order a bigger baling rack to fit my half sheet pan, and I've ordered the maximum sized turkey that will fit the pan, and not one ounce more. :tongue_smilie:

[Matryoshka]

I'm not sure how you'd make gravy ahead, since to me gravy = pan drippings + a bit of other stuff.   My mom used to make this big deal out of the gravy, and fuss and sweat and crank over it, and it always ended up thin and not so good.  MIL showed me how she did gravy, so I did that - piece of cake. 

 

I simmer the giblets ahead of time in sherry, then add a bit more water. Okay, the sherry bit is still my mom's idea. :)

 

After the turkey's done, I toss in some extra water to the pan, scrape around, and strain, then separate the fat with a fat-separator.

 

Put that in pot, add the juices from the giblets.  I do this same thing for roasted chicken gravy, and then I toss the giblets.  But dh's family likes giblets, so for Thanksgiving I mince the giblets and toss them in.  Add some more water.  Mix some flour and cold water with a whisk (adding water slowly so as not to make lumpy), then add it to gravy to thicken.  Simmer for a bit till it thickens up.  Add salt/pepper to taste. Done.

 

Yeah, I don't make a roux.  One less step, and less fat to boot.  All those drippings and sherry and giblets (or their juice) give it quite enough flavor.

[ThisIsTheDay]

I'm not sure how you'd make gravy ahead, since to me gravy = pan drippings + a bit of other stuff.  

 

But if you read the recipe that I copied into the post, you'd see how you make it almost all a day ahead of time and add in the drippings at the end. No worries, it includes all of the good stuff in there!  It's nice to have 1) the majority of the work done early so I can focus on other things, and 2) a sure ending.  Too many times, my last minute gravy didn't turn out, and nothing is worse than gravy from a jar, imo.

 

:D

 

[carriede]

Another vote for flour and drippings!

 

While the turkey is resting, remove juices from pan (I use a turkey baster - I don't have a good cutting board so the turkey itself stays in the roaster).

 

Heat drippings on the stove until bubbly. Remove 1/2 cup of drippings into a heat proof bowl. Add 4-8 Tbs of flour, one at a time, and whisk until desolved. Whisk mixture into the pan of drippings. Continue cooking and whisking until thickened.

 

You could also do the same in a microwave. I heat it on high, for no more than 1 minute at a time, stirring in between minutes.

[Ellie]

Oh, of course you can still use the turkey drippings. :-)

 

Here's how I do it (and how you could do it, as well, although it sounds as if you have a plan now):

 

About an hour before the bird will be done, pour off a good portion of the drippings (you can always add more water to the pan so it will continue steaming/baking). Allow the drippings to set long enough that the fat separates from the rest. Skim off the fat (very carefully!).

 

Put the fat in a pan; you'll need at least, oh, 4 tablespoons, so if there isn't that much (and there should be), add butter. When it's all nice and hot, stir in flour, the same amount of flour as there is fat. Mush it up well. :-) Now you have a *roux*. Continue cooking the roux until it's nice and dark brown. Slowly pour in the rest of the liquid (either pan drippings or broth you've made on the stovetop; you can even add buttermilk, which is quite tasty; I've even added wine. Yummo.), stirring continuously (this is how you avoid lumps). Add salt. Please. :-p Now just heat it long enough to be hot all through. Voila! Tasty brown gravy.

 

The measurements are 2 TBS fat (butter, fat from the turkey, etc.), 2 TBS flour, 2 cups water/liquid. But once you get the hang of making the roux, you won't have to measure.

[meena]

I brine my turkey, so the drippings usually end up too salty to use as the entire base for gravy. Instead I will make Cook's Illustrated All-Purpose Gravy and add a little bit of the drippings for extra flavor depth. I've been making this gravy for years and it is soooo good, even without drippings! I love that I can make it ahead of time and not have to worry about it on Thanksgiving. The recipe is here: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/1519-all-purpose-gravy

[Samiam]

Oh and BIL deep fat fries his turkey. Can we say lots of oil??? He says it is really good.

 

 

Deep fried Turkey is uber-common in the South  (maybe other parts of the country as well...though we had never heard of it growing up in Nebraska, until an uncle moved to Mississippi and married a local, then we ate it at his house...now my father, in Nebraska, fries his turkeys every year....maybe he's spread it around Nebraska too, lol!).  I'm in SC now and it's a norm.....some restaurants even sell it for pickup orders if people don't want to do it themselves.

 

The turkey itself does not come out oily...the skin is a deep brown, and oh-so-crispy....yummmmmmy!   Inside is moist, and flavorful.   Fantastic!  Only bad part is, yes, no drippings for gravy.

[Susan C.]

OK Ellie and others, I may just get up my nerve to use the drippings. Or at least, add some to the gravy. The reason I want to make it ahead is that I am already doing too much at the end of the prep. and it helps to pour from the jar and warm the gravy right before we eat. When the turkey comes out, the dressing and sweet potatoes go into the oven. Then we make green beans on the stove (w/mushrooms, leeks, panchetta, balsamic vinegar), then quickly put rolls in the oven. Then carve. Its just dh and I cooking. I'm scared I won't have time for the gravy. I will see if I can make before the rush and keep it warm. Like someone said above, I have made my share of no good gravies.... I always just add cornstarch to drippings, and I guess the lack of roux is the problem. And too much grease!

[PeterPan]

Ina Garten was on Food Network today saying she uses chicken drippings the day before to make her gravy.  No one faints or dies apparently, mixing the meats.   :thumbup1:    She also did your steaming, but she just kept it really simple and threw the bird in the oven at whatever temp to roast along with white wine in the bottom.  I fell asleep during the episode, oops, but I assume it came out pretty?  Oh, she rubbed garlic and herbed mess under the skin, YUM.  I think that's what I'm going to try.  I've brined in years past, and I'm ready for a change.  (read I'm tired and this looked easier).   :thumbup:

 

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe : Ina Garten : Recipes : Food ...

 

Homemade Gravy