Gravy is everything. Absolutely everything. You can have a perfectroasted turkey,lusciousmashed potatoes, andThanksgiving dressing,but if you don't have a dark, decadent gravy to spoon over the top, what's the point of even living?
Okay, so maybe that's a little dramatic. But the good news is this: Making good gravy isn't difficult! It just takes patience, perseverance, and the sheer will to make gravy so good, even your picky and opinionated Uncle Festus will come back for seconds.Pull out your trusty gravy boat... here's how to make it!
What is the secret to good gravy?
Theconsistency is very important. It shouldn't be too thick or too thin. Add alittle more broth if it's too thick, and if it's too thin,just mix two or three tablespoons of flour with enough water to stir it in. The gravy will slowly thicken.
What is giblet gravy made of?
You can't have giblet gravy without the giblets. But besides those (and the neck), the gravy is made with the heavenlydrippings from a roasted turkey, some flour to thicken it, broth to thin it, salt, and pepper. It's simple!
Do you boil the giblets?
Yes, you have to boil the giblets and neck to cook them before you start making the gravy. They simmer in water for about an hour.
Advertisem*nt - Continue Reading Below
- Yields:
- 12 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 5 mins
- Cook Time:
- 20 mins
- Total Time:
- 25 mins
Ingredients
Giblets and neck, saved from the uncooked turkey
Drippings from roasted turkey
- 1/2 c.
all-purpose flour (more if needed)
- 4 c.
no-sodium chicken, turkey, or vegetable broth (more if needed)
Salt and pepper
Directions
- Step1First, take the giblets and neck from the raw turkey and cover them with water by 2 inches in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer it for 1 hour to both to cook the meat and to make a giblet broth for the gravy.
- Step2Remove the giblets and neck from the water (don’t worry; they’re supposed to look really grody) and set them aside. Keep the giblet broth in the saucepan for later.
- Step3When you’re ready to make the gravy, pour all the drippings from the turkey roasting pan into a bowl. Set the pan back onto the stove. Let the drippings sit and separate naturally, then use a ladle to carefully separate the fat from the liquid drippings (the fat will be on top, while the drippings will settle at the bottom).
- Step4Turn the heat to medium and add about 1 cup of the fat back into the roasting pan. Sprinkle the flour all over the fat and immediately begin whisking it around to make a paste. Add more flour or fat as needed to create the right consistency: You want the mixture to be a stirrable paste and not overly greasy. If it looks a little greasy, whisk in a little more flour. Once the paste/roux is the right consistency, whisk it slowly for a few minutes, allowing it to cook to a deep golden brown color. A nice brown roux is the secret to good gravy, baby!
- Step5Once the roux is ready, pour in 1 cup of the drippings (the stuff that separated from the fat earlier) and the chicken or turkey broth, whisking constantly. Then just let the gravy cook and thicken, whisking constantly for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Step6Meanwhile, use your fingers to remove as much of the neck meat as you can and chop up the giblets into fine pieces. Add as much of the meat to the gravy as you’d like: Add it all if you like a really chunky giblet gravy, add a little less if you like the gravy more smooth.
- Step7If the gravy seems too thick, add more broth and/or a little of the reserved giblet broth (the water used to cook the giblets.) Finally, season the gravy with a little bit of salt and plenty of black pepper! (Be sure to taste it and make sure the seasoning is perfect.) Serve the gravy piping hot at the table.
Tip: You should be prepared to add more broth, so have extra on hand!
First of all (speaking of grody), you need to boil the neck and giblets, also known as the bizarre stuff you find in the bag inside the raw turkey. I always take them out of the turkey and rinse them, then store them in a Ziploc bag in the fridge overnight (because I’m brining the turkey overnight, and I remove the interior bag first.)
So while the turkey is roasting the next day, place the neck and giblets into a medium saucepan, cover it with water by about 2 inches, and bring it to a boil. After it boils, reduce the heat to a strong simmer and cook them for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the meat is totally cooked through.
Remove the neck and giblets from the water (but keep the water on standby; you’ll need it later!) and when they’re cool enough to handle…
Use your fingers to pick off as much of the neck meat as you can, trying very hard not to think about the phrase “neck meat” while you’re doing this.
This is good stuff! And it’s luscious in the gravy, baby.
You also need to chop up the giblets, which are my favorite part of the gravy.
I like them diced pretty finely, though, as the flavor is pretty durn strong.
Now just set all the neck and giblet meat aside while you make the gravy!
Now, after you remove the turkey from the oven and remove the turkey from the roasting pan, carefully (don’t burn yourself!) pour all the drippings from the pan into a large heatproof pitcher. (Set the roasting pan aside, but don’t wash it!) Let the liquid sit undisturbed for a bit, long enough for the fat to separate from the drippings.
The separation will be obvious: The fat rises to the top, and it’s a thick, greasy liquid. The drippings stay at the bottom, and they’re more of a cloudy liquid filled with little bits.
After the two are totally separated, use a ladle to carefully skim off the fat and transfer it to a separate bowl. Just lower the ladle straight down and slowly allow the fat to spill over the sides and into the well. (You can also use a fancy fat separator…I just don’t have one of those.)
Now, when you’re ready to make the gravy, set the roasting pan over the stove (I usually straddle it over two burners) and turn on the heat to medium. Pour in some of the fat (how much you add depends on how much gravy you want to make.)
When the fat is heated, sprinkle in some flour. Again, how much you add depends on how much gravy you want to make!
Whisk it all together and check the consistency: Basically, you want to make a nice paste. If it seems overly greasy, whisk in a little more flour until it looks right. If it seems too thick and it’s hard to stir, drizzle in a little more fat.
When the consistency is right, you then need to take the time to cook the roux so it gets nice and brown! Just whisk it constantly as it cooks, and when the color looks nice and deep golden brown…
Pour in a good amount of low-sodium broth: You can use chicken, turkey, or vegetable—whatever makes your skirt fly up. After that, pour in half the reserved turkey drippings (you can always add the rest later if the gravy needs it.)
Whisk in the broth and cook it for long enough for the gravy to get nice and thick; this can take from 5 to 10 minutes (or more, depending on how much volume you’re talking about) so just be patient and keep on whiskin’!
If the gravy isn’t thick enough, keep cooking it until it thickens. If it gets too thick, you can always thin it with some of the giblet broth.
So while I’m at it, let me give you the breakdown so we have it straight:
Fat = the grease that separates from the drippings. This is combined with flour in the roasting pan to make the roux.
Drippings = the cloudy, messy liquid that separates from the fat. This is added to the roux along with the broth to make the gravy more flavorful.
Broth = I usually use storebought, either turkey, chicken, or vegetable. This is added to the roux to make the gravy. Always use low-sodium (or, even better, no-sodium broth) to control the saltiness of the gravy.
Giblet broth = the liquid left in the saucepan after you boil the neck and giblets. This is used to thin the broth if it gets too thick.
The very last thing to do is to add the shredded/chopped neck/giblets to the gravy…
Along with (after you taste it) salt and pepper. Note that if you brined the turkey, you likely won’t need much salt at all! So always, always, always taste the gravy before adding any salt.
Mmmm. GRAVY!
Sorry to shout. I just can’t control myself.
Ahh. There’s nothing better in the world.
Enjoy every single bite!
