Really Good Turkey Gravy
Cuisine: American
Author: Nancy Baggett
A really good turkey gravy makes the meat, stuffing and potatoes taste better and can ensure your reputation as a fab holiday cook. Make ahead a great stock; great gravy will follow.
Ingredients
  • Turkey Wing Stock
  • 2½ pounds fresh or frozen (thawed ) turkey wings (not smoked), or other bony turkey pieces
  • 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 small stalk celery including leaves, very coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley
  • ¾ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • ⅛ teaspoon each fresh coarsely ground black pepper and sea salt
  • 1½ tablespoons olive oil or other vegetable oil
  • 6 cups very low-sodium canned or boxed chicken broth
  • Really Good Gravy
  • 1 to 1¼ cups turkey roasting pan drippings (add water if needed to yield at least 1 cup)
  • 5 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached white flour
  • 3 to 4 cups room temperature turkey stock, as needed
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, optional
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice to taste, optional
Instructions
  1. For the stock: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Put the wings, onion, celery, parsley, thyme, and pepper and salt in a large, shallow, wide-bottomed Dutch oven or large deep-sided skillet. Stir in the oil to lightly coat the other ingredients. Place the pot in the middle of the oven and roast, uncovered, stirring several times for 1½ hours, or until the wings are nicely browned all over.
  2. Stir in 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth; if necessary add enough water to cover the wings. Replenish the water as necessary if the liquid reduces to less than 4 cups. Continue roasting, uncovered, 1½ to 2 hours longer, until the wing meat is tender and falling off the bone and about 4 cups of liquid remains.
  3. Pour off the stock into a 1-quart glass measure, canning jar or other heat-resistant storage container. Let stand to cool slightly, then refrigerate until the fat solidifies on the surface. Skim off and discard the fat. Store the stock, covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days or freeze for up to a month; thaw before using. Reserve the turkey for making soup or hash, if desired.
  4. For the gravy: Let the turkey and roasting pan cool slightly; set the turkey and roasting rack aside. Set the roasting pan on a burner over medium heat. If the pan is dry, add some hot water, then scrape up all the drippings. If they are stuck to the bottom add a little more hot water and scrape until they are loosened. (The deeper the liquid color, the better.) Turn out the drippings into a gravy separator or heat-proof glass measure and, if necessary, add water to yield 1 cup. Let stand until the fat rises to the surface. Measure out 2½ tablespoons fat from the drippings and place in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Discard the remaining fat from the container surface but reserve the drippings mixture.
  5. Over medium-high, heat the turkey fat to bubbling hot, then stir in the flour until smoothly incorporated. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour bubbles and turns the color of peanut butter, about 5 minutes; adjust the heat so the mixture doesn’t burn. Pour the reserved drippings into the skillet, stirring, or if a smooth gravy is preferred stir and press them through a sieve into the skillet, then stir well. Immediately gradually add 2 cups turkey stock, stirring until evenly incorporated and the gravy comes to a boil. Boil, stirring, about 4 minutes longer until the gravy thickens. As necessary thin the gravy with more stock; it shouldn’t be thick as it will thicken more upon standing and during cooling or storage. Stir in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Serve the gravy immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat to piping hot at serving time.
Recipe by KitchenLane at http://kitchenlane.com/2016/11/really-good-turkey-gravy.html