Because so many people seem to struggle with making consistently good turkey gravy, I thought I would start a thread for your favorite tips for making
turkey gravy that always turns out well. I’ll start with a few of my own:
–I actually making (most) of the gravy ahead of time, rather than trying to make a gravy out of pan drippings. But after the turkey is done
and the gravy is made, I can put the drippings in a separator cup and pour the non-fat drippings into the gravy at the end.
–I saute fresh mushrooms and rehydrated dry mushrooms (wild mix or porcinis). I reserve the rehydrated dry mushroom water and add to the
gravy (after running through a coffee filter to remove dirt, etc.).
–I start with chicken broth, and then add the neck/gizzards to the broth and let it simmer for 30-60 minutes. If I have enough time, I let it
sit overnight in the fridge so the fat rises to the top and you can skim off the fat. I then put the chicken/turkey broth into a pan and warm it up.
–In another pan, I make a roux with butter & flour. After it gets at least medium brown, then I start adding the liquid–the rehydrated mushroom
liquid and ladles of hot broth–stirring constantly. Once I get about as much gravy as I’ll need, I add the sauteed mushrooms. After it’s simmered for
several minutes, I taste and then start adjusting the flavor with salt & pepper. Also, I think gravy usually needs a little bit of an acid adjustment to have some zing–a bit of lemon juice or a touch of vinegar, but very sparingly so it doesn’t take over the other flavors. If the gravy still needs a bit more thickening, I’ll make a corn starch slurry with some of the cooled gravy.
–Again, I’ll add some of the turkey pan drippings at the end, but only to give it a bit more turkey flavor.
I make turkey stock ahead of time (made it last week and froze it) using necks, gizzards, and wings (or legs or both). These are roasted until well browned along with onions, carrots, and celery. Place in stock pot, along with some bay leaves, peppercorns, and thyme; sometimes I throw in a few chicken feet as well, as they add a nice bit of gelatin; add water to cover and cook for several hours. Strain out the solids and chill overnight. This should give you plenty for gravy and some for adding to stuffing/dressing. Remove fat layer, which can be used in the roux. Make roux per Bruce’s instructions and add stock and any pan drippings from the turkey; stir until you get the desired consistency; taste for seasoning and add S&P as needed; you can also add some cream if your T-day meal isn’t rich enough . Some folks like to add mushrooms, as Bruce recommends, or chopped cooked giblets, but I do neither.
Jimmie–Some nice tips there; some day I’ll have to start as you did by making turkey stock from scratch, roasting the turkey bits, etc.
Your response also reminds me–make MORE turkey gravy than you think you’ll need. When people first make gravy, they tend to think of making just enough
to fill the gravy boat. But because people often pour gravy on everything (the turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, etc.), the gravy tends to go quickly. Plus, you need more gravy for when people take seconds, or for leftovers. So err on the side of too much gravy rather than not enough.
Excellent suggestions especially the make ahead and then add drippings. We barbecue the turkey and not everyone likes smoke in the gravy so one gravy is done plain. I often bump up the aromatics with bouquet garni before serving. I like my gravy more sauce like but for those who like thicker gravy I suppose you could add potato starch or xanthem gum if roux is insufficient when drippings added.
As far as I know, no one has ever gotten in trouble for making too much gravy. People have been stabbed or shot, however, for taking the last drop of gravy
before it’s even made it around the table.
All good techniques so far. I follow Jimmie’s approach pretty closely. I take it one step further by having chunks of onions, shallots, carrots, parsnip, and mushroom in the roasting pan along with the turkey. Those roast up nicely, and I will pick out a few of each to puree into the gravy for added flavor and body.
This is a timely thread, as I have the chopped, cooked giblets and stock ready to go. Has anybody ever used the FRA’ MANI (Paul Bertolli, formerly of Oliveto restaurant, founded the company) turkey gravy that Costco sells? Just thinking that on short notice, along with a Costco chicken, it might satisfy the fowl/gravy craving.
If you are grilling or smoking the turkey I have had great success adding those drippings to the gravy and making it smoky. Really delicious and not overpowering if you are using apple/cherry/charcoal etc.
As is so often the case, I like Kenji Lopez-Alt’s approach. Brown the neck (and backbone, if you spatchcock) and mirepoix pretty deeply, and then add chicken stock and reduce. Now you’ve got an amazing fortified stock that you strain. Chop and sear giblets in butter and schmaltz, then add flour to create a roux. Add the fortified stock back in and whisk. Season. Add the de-fatted pan drippings at the end.
The one trick I’ve added is to use turkey schmaltz together with butter as the fat for the roux.
Definitely brown the neck and meat and bones before using. I cut the ends of the wings off too - they’re never really that good to eat and it’s more to brown and simmer. And brown the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and whatever vegetables you’re putting in the stock. You can do like Alan does and throw some on the pan when roasting the turkey too. I do all that a day or more ahead but have done it on the same day, just starting to cook the stock early and the turkey later on. When I had a garden full of herbs, I’d go out and get a few types of thyme and oregano and sometimes a bit of rosemary and throw all that in the simmering pot too. A little rosemary goes a long way though, so be careful.
When the turkey is done roasting, pour off the fat and deglaze the pan with a bit of wine and add that to the broth.
And I use a brown roux too.
I happen to love mushrooms added, dried and ground or fresh, doesn’t matter, but some in the family don’t like them.
I do my turkey on the egg or weber so no drippings. So what I do is put the turkey neck on the smoker wiwith the bird. About half way through the cook I pull off the neck and the wing tips put them in a pot of chicken stock with onion carrot celery sage and thyme. Cook at a simmer while the turkey finishes up. Make a medium-dRk roux take the meat off the neck chop and combine with the strained smoked stock. If the turkey gives up some juice while resting this goes in the pot as well. Even my non-gravy loving wife likes it.
. Some folks like to add mushrooms, as Bruce recommends, or chopped cooked giblets, but I do neither.