Our Favorite Turkey Gravy
By Lan LamPublished on September 4, 2018
Time
2¼ hours
Yield
Serves 12 to 16 (Makes 4 cups)
Featured Comment
"After years of trying out turkey gravy recipes, I've finally found the ONE!" —Carol S.
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Much of this gravy's flavor is derived from the trimmed skin and fat plus the neck and giblets of a turkey. Use kitchen shears to cut away extra skin from the neck region (leaving enough to cover the opening) and any loose fat from the cavity. Cut large pieces of skin into 1-inch pieces. If your turkey does not have excess skin or fat, use kitchen shears to snip off the tail and cut it into three or four pieces to use as trimmings. Do not use the liver that is packaged with the giblets. The gravy's consistency can be adjusted to suit your taste: Simmer longer for a thicker gravy or thin with additional broth for a thinner gravy. This gravy is better with turkey drippings; you can add them either in step 4 or when reheating the gravy. To double the recipe, double all the ingredients including the trimmings and make the stock in two separate pots.
Make Ahead: Gravy can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 weeks. To reheat, bring to simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups chicken broth, reserved turkey neck and giblets, and ⅓ cup reserved turkey trimmings cut into 1-inch pieces to simmer in Dutch oven over high heat. Cook, adjusting heat to maintain vigorous simmer and stirring occasionally, until all liquid evaporates and trimmings begin to sizzle, about 20 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until dark fond forms on bottom of pot, 2 to 4 minutes longer.
- Reduce heat to medium-high. Add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped carrot, 1 chopped celery rib, 8 parsley sprigs, 2 thyme sprigs, 2 peeled garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon table salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in ⅓ cup white wine and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Add remaining 4 cups chicken broth and bring to simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Strain stock through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl; discard solids. (You should have 3½ to 4 cups stock. Turkey stock can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
- Melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is deep golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in strained stock. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add ¼ cup defatted turkey drippings, if using, and thin gravy with extra broth, if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve. (Gravy can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 weeks; to reheat, bring to simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.)
Time
2¼ hoursYield
Serves 12 to 16 (Makes 4 cups)Featured Comment
"After years of trying out turkey gravy recipes, I've finally found the ONE!" —Carol S.Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a turkey gravy that really tastes like the bird but doesn't require drippings, we start by making a full-flavored turkey stock that includs not just the neck and giblets but also some excess skin and fat from the turkey—powerhouse sources of turkey flavor. We simmer the neck, giblets, and trimmings in chicken broth in a Dutch oven (it has a greater surface area than a saucepan), extracting flavor-packed juices and fat from the parts that brown and forming a rich fond when the liquid evaporates. We then sautée chopped carrot, celery, and onion for aromatic depth; deglaze the pot with white wine; add more chicken broth; simmer the stock (covered to prevent evaporation) for about an hour; then strain out the solids. We don't defat the stock, since the aromatic compounds in the bird's fat contribute a significant amount of turkey flavor. Then, to turn the stock into a gravy, we make a roux by toasting flour in melted butter and whisking the stock into the roux.
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