Turkey Gravy

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I hate messing with the roasting pan over the stove just before you are supposed to be getting all the Thanksgiving goodies to the table.  Scraping and whisking with no choice but to leave that mess of a pan in your sink to be dealt with later.

So I skip that step
and make my gravy the day before to get it out of the way.  Then all I have to do is reheat it on Thanksgiving.  I am very fortunate to have a Le Creuset dutch oven (a gift from my husband) that makes the gravy beautifully and releases the delicious drippings that are stuck to the bottom with ease which makes for easy clean up. 

If you followed my Brined & Butterflied Turkey blog and removed your back bone before brining, this is the gravy recipe that goes with it. 

So if you have your parts ready.  Let’s make gravy.

TURKEY GRAVY BROTH

Turkey Parts               back, neck, wingtips and tail

                                    kosher salt

                                    black pepper

1          large                onion, large chop

2          large                stalks celery, large chop

1          large                carrots, large chop

2          large                cloves garlic, whole

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place onion, celery, carrots and garlic in the bottom of a heavy stock pot.

Cut the back in half so it will fit in the pot better.

Season turkey parts generously with kosher salt and pepper.  

Place over the vegetables skin side up.

Place pot in the oven and let roast for 1 hour or until turkey parts are beautifully browned.

Remove from oven and place on the stove over high heat.

Add 8 cups of water; bring to a boil; stir to mix and scrape up the drippings 

from the sides and bottom of the pot.  
Lower heat to low and simmer for 1 hour; covered.

Remove the veggies and turkey from the broth and discard.

Strain broth thru a strainer and skim fat off the broth if needed.  

I only had about ¼ cup of fat so I left it in.

THICKEN TURKEY GRAVY

6 ½      cups                turkey broth

½         cup                  butter or oil or a combo

¾         cup                  flour

1          tsp.                  kosher salt

¼         tsp.                  black pepper

Melt 1 stick of butter or ½ cup oil into the bottom of the pot with ¾ cup of flour.  
Mix to make a roux and cook for 2 - 3 minutes to remove the raw flavor of the flour.

Slowly whisk in broth mixing until gravy thickens; 
bring to a boil; taste and season with salt and pepper.

This is the magic! Don't skip this step.

When your turkey comes out of the oven. Remove the turkey to a platter or pan and pour the drippings from the pan into the pot of gravy.