How to Make Foolproof Gravy
Make fabulously flavorful gravy ahead of the big day with this easy recipe that makes turkey stock by using wings or other turkey pieces, and then uses classic French technique to build the sauce. If you're using premade or purchased stock or bouillon, then just skip to the gravy making step.
Ingredients
For the stock
- 2 Chicken Wings chopped in two pieces
- 1 lb. turkey necks backbone or other trimmings (optional)
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- Few springs thyme
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- Few peppercorns
For the gravy - per cup
- 1 tablespoons turkey fat or butter
- 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup stock or broth
- 1/8 teaspoon salt, or more if needed
- Few cranks black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped herbs (optional)
Instructions
To Make the Stock
- Preheat an oven to 400F. Chop the wings into pieces, dab with paper towel to remove moisture. Put the onion, carrots, celery and thyme into a roasting pan. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Place the wings and any other turkey parts on top of the vegetables. Put the pan into the hot oven and roast until the wings turn brown and the vegetables soften and caramelize, about 45 minutes.
- Carefully move or pour the vegetables and turkey into a large 6 quart or larger stockpot.
- If there’s any pools of fat in the pan, scoop them up into a small cup and setaside in the fridge. Add one cup boiling water to the roasting pan and using a flat spatula, working up any browned bits stuck to the bottom.
- Add the liquid to the pot, then add an eight cups cold water, Add the garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring the stock just to the boil and then turn heat to low. Adjust as needed to maintain a gentle bubbling simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours, until the bones have given their all. Add additional water if needed to keep the bones covered by at least one inch of water.
- As the stock simmers, use a spoon to remove any grease that collects on the top. Reserve 2 tablespoons of this fat.
- Strain the stock into a large bowl, discarding all the bones and vegetables. Let cool to just above room temperature and then cover and store in the fridge until needed. If moving directly to gravy, clean the pot and wipe it dry with a towel and use it for the gravy.
To Make the Gravy
- Put a large pot over over medium-low heat. Add any reserved turkey fat or butter to the pot and let it melt. Add the flour and then whisk together until it smells like popcorn, about 2 to 5 minutes depending on how much you're making.
- Then add the turkey stock, about 1 cup at a time. Whisk continually as you add the stock. Increase the heat to just lower than high heat continuing to whisk until thickened. Taste and add salt, pepper, herbs, cream or additional bouillon as needed.
- To store until needed, cool it by taking it off the heat and whisking a couple of ice cubes into it briskly for a few minutes. Then cover and stow into the fridge.
- To reheat, simply add it to a pan and stir. It will last for about three days in the fridge. It can be frozen for up to three months in an airtight container.
Notes
Obviously, if you decide not to do the homemade stock, you can begin the recipe starting with adding butter and flour to the pan to make a roux, and proceed from there.