How do you season and/or make your TG gravy?

M

mariadnoca

Moderator
My MIL has been in charge of gravy all my adult TG years. Move over - it's her thing. And my neighbor is making TG turkey for all us tomorrow and was going to skip the gravy (gasp) but then she said well how do you make it? And...I wasn't completely sure.

Ok, I know the basics: skim fat from drippings, thicken with flour (I know how to do this w/o lumps), MIL adds stock, but then...I'm kinda lost. I just realized when she asked me, I'm not sure how to make this.

How did this happen? This tragedy must not be allowed to continue!

So..what say you?

 
I get the fat early on in the cooking of the turkey, adding more. Finally begin browning the

roux. When the turkey is near done I deglaze the roasting pan getting a LOT of the good brown out and defat that (there's more grease there of course). Then I add that, and more water to the gravy to make it the consistency we like (not thick). Using the drippings and roasting pan bits makes a truly delicious gravy, deep brown.
I know people make turkey stock in advance etc. Not me. BUT if you do, do not overlook a good deglazing of the roasting pan.

 
I save all my drippings from chickens, turkey breasts,and I also save whole wings.

I make a rich stock using a few veggies, and the wings and bones I have saved. I freeze the stock about tow weeks before TG. Tuesday, I will make the gravey. None of the last minute stuff for me. too stressful. My sweet hubby is getting slower at carving the turkey, so I try to help him and still get all the food out hot . The past two weeks I roasted four bone-in chicken breasts, for soup and another dish. Those drippings went into the stock container too, along with the browned bits. I save it all.

 
I brown the giblets and neck with onions and vegetables in the morning, then

add water and bay leaf and simmer until it's time to make the gravy. If I'm making goose gravy, I add port to the final product, but I keep turkey gravy plain.

 
The juices in a brined turkey will be saltier but just taste before additional seasoning.

I've brined turkeys and chickens for years and still make gravy from the juices. I make sure my stock is low sodium and deglaze the pan with about a cup of stock. I make my gravy in a saucepan: 1/2 cup of turkey fat and/or butter with 1/2 cup of flour to make a roux. Stir for 5 minutes then slowly add deglazed drippings + HOT stock to make 4 cups. We like our gravy to be a bit thicker.

Any leftovers can be brought to a boil and simmered for 5 minutes the next day.

Love my gravy! I will roast a chicken just to have gravy.

 
I put fresh Thyme and black pepper in my gravy

I don't overwhelm the deep flavors by putting anything more in. My dressing (not stuffing) has a lot of fresh Sage in it so I don't like to complicate the plate more- turkey, dressing, mashed, gravy over all.

 
I put the roasting pan on two burners and let the juices evaporate and the

fond brown so that the fat separates.

Pour off any excess fat; sauce some shallot in the fat then add flour and brown.

Sometimes I deglaze with white wine or sherry; let the alcohol burn off; then add turkey stock that I've made with the wing tip and giblets--excluding liver.

Then it depends on my whim---some fresh thyme or tarragon; a little cream.

 
I roast turkey parts w/ vegetables and make the turkey stock with herbs

I do the make ahead. I use the roasted turkey parts (reserving the fat) and roasted vegetables (onion, carrot, celery) to make the stock. I season the stock with pepper and a little (I brine my turkey on T-day) fresh thyme, and sage in a cheesecloth, floating in the stock as it cooks. Strain the stock and refrigerate. Then I cook in the flour and fat that I saved from the roasted parts, and skimmed off the cold stock. I season the flour with pepper and onion powder.
Reheat the stock in one pot, and use a bigger pot to cook the flour and fat, adding a little hot stock a little bit at a time. I use the turkey drippings to finish off the gravy. It's awesome.
I used to think it wasn't the same as made the day of, but I must say, it is as good, and waaay less stressful and no lumps due to rushing!

This make ahead posted by Curious1 is pretty close to how I make it.

http://eat.at/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=219106

 
I add thyme to the stock--I make a stock from the turkey neck and giblets (browning them first in a

skillet if I have time. Then, like Charley, I make a brown roux from the clear fat that comes out early when the turkey is roasting, then add the stock. You now have a pretty nice gravy base. When the turkey is done the juices are degreased and added to the gravy, and the pan is deglazed with water or wine and that is added as well. Salt and pepper, that's it!

Julia Child adds chopped carrots and onions to the roasting pan about halfway through to flavor the juices--I do that with roast chicken and it adds flavor. You could add herbs there too. They get strained out before being added to the gravy.

My mom used to simply add Wondra flour and stock/water to the roasting pan and cook it down, and that was delicious too. If someone else is cooking the turkey that may be your only option.

 
I don't brine my turkey, but do liberally salt and pepper it before roasting. No additional

salt in the gravy unless I taste and it needs it. I do add a bit more pepper. Ours also has all the great flavor from the stuffing IN the turkey so there's herbs from that.

 
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