Side Dish -- TURKEY GRAVY (or Roast Chicken Gravy) --mainly made ahead!
Submitted by dvdlee on November 19, 2004 at 1:43 pm

DESCRIPTION
Side Dish -- TURKEY GRAVY (or Roast Chicken Gravy) --mainly made ahead!

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Misc. Recipes & Requests

INSTRUCTIONS
This Thanksgiving I decided to modify the Cook's Illustrated "Make Ahead Pan Gravy" recipe and I wound up the the best tasting poultry gravy I have ever made -- and I kept notes and measurements so that it is a true recipe! I've found the problem with most gravy "recipes" are that really are something that you have to make under supervision for years to duplicated.

A benefit of this recipe is that you do most of the work ahead, so the gravy is a snap to finish at the end when things begin to get frantic. Sorry for the long recipe, but I'd rather everyone have too much info than not enough. I start making this just after the turkey is in the oven, so there is plenty of time for the entire process. It takes longer than opening a packet, but is very flavorful!! So enjoy!

This recipe makes around 4 1/2 cups of gravy. (You can half the recipe for just a single roast chicken.)

2 turkey legs (or 4 chicken legs if making chicken gravy!)
Giblets & neck from the bird (but do not include the liver)
1/2 of a large onion or 1 regular sized onion
3 cups low sodium Chicken Stock
2 cups water
Herbs:
Fresh (preferred) - use whole -- 4 thyme stems, 3 sage leaves, 6 stems parsley, 4 tops of celery ribs (with leaves) or 2 ribs of celery

Dried 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon dried sage, plus parsley & celery from above

With a cleaver hack the turkey legs into several chunks (the chicken legs should be cut in two). Remove any skin from the legs (you don't want the fat).

Rough cut the onion (do peel it) into large chunks. If using whole celery ribs, cut them into chunks as well

Combine all ingredients listed above and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Skim any scum that rises to the surface. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, but an hour to 90 minutes is best.

Remove from heat and remove pieces of meat and big chunks of veggies with a pair of tongs or slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a bowl. There should be around 4 & 1/2 cups of stock. Skim most of the fat from the stock.

Find the gizzard & heart and cut them into small pieces. Take some of the turkey meat and shred it. Add around 1/2 to 2/3 of a cup of giblets & meat to the stock.

If you are making this ahead, chill stock in the fridge. If making in a hour or two, pour into a pan so the stock will get to room temp. quickly.

Stock must be at room temperature to make the pregravy.

3 & 1/2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup AP flour

Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan large enough to hold the finished gravy over medium-low heat for a few minutes.

Add the butter. When the butter has foamed and is almost about to color dump in the flour all at once. Begin to stir; the flour will clump, then thin out to form a nice roux. Continue to cook and stir until the roux turns a golden brown (a nut brown) and smells fragrant. (This might take 5 to 10 minutes, stir so the roux does not burn. You can cook the roux at a higher heat and finish faster, but you must stir constantly and be careful not to burn the roux.)

Remove pan from the heat. Take the room temperture stock and add it to the roux around 1 cup at a time. Quickly blend with a wire whisk as you combine the roux and stock. After combined and smooth, return to the heat, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for around 30 to 40 minutes.

You can serve the "pre-gravy" as is, but this final adding of the pan drippings and the carmalization they bring really is what puts the gravy over the top.

Pan Drippings from the Turkey or Chicken
1/2 cup red or white wine - whichever you prefer
The hot pre-gravy
1 to 2 oz. of dry cooking sherry
2 teaspoons of cornstarch

After the bird is removed from the oven, put the roasting pan on the stove top over one or two burners over medium-high heat. (If you use any veggies in roasting the bird, or stuff the bird with veggies, have them in the pan too). Remove as much fat as possible from the drippings with a separator or a spoon.

Cook drippings and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any carmalized crusts. Cook until the drippings are slightly reduced. Increase heat to high and add the wine. Stirring constantly rapidly boil down the liquids until reduced by around 1/2.

Remove from heat and pour contents of the pan through a strainer. Press on veggies in the strainer to get as all the liquid out of them.

Add the reduced pan dripings to the hot pre-gravy. Combine. If the gravy is not thick enough (and I bet it won't be!) blend the sherry with the cornstarch to form a smooth slurry. Add 1/2 of the slurry and bring the gravy to a boil. If still not as thick as you'd like, add the rest of the slurry. Yiu can keep adding cornstarch slurry, but let it cook for 5 minutes between additions (at least). Also rember that gravy thickens as it cools and sets...

Serve!