Herbed Turkey Gravy can be made ahead of time from Herbed Turkey Stock or store bought chicken stock, if you don’t have the time to make your own. I make my stock days ahead of Thanksgiving using roasted turkey wings/necks, vegetables and herbs. As a bit of a change this year, I used 2 pounds of legs in place of 2 pounds of wings because of a shortage in the store. Next year, I will buy more when I see them earlier in the season and freeze them. Turkey legs are dark meat and contributed to the darker hue of stock. I have no complaints from being flexible in my choices here. It’s all good!The aroma throughout the house teases thoughts of the big feast.
When making the stock, save the drippings from the roasting pan for the gravy; it renders about a quarter of a cup of liquid gold ! That, along with the homemade stock, makes the best gravy in very little time. (The drippings can be replaced with an equal amount of butter, if you like.) You can store this in the fridge 3 days before serving or even freeze it! That’s one less thing to worry about Thursday. Scratch that off your list! Wouldn’t you rather spend more time socializing with your family than worrying about making sure the gravy isn’t lumpy or flavorful? Make it when you aren’t under the pressure of a timeline, for the best results.
The vegetable combination is referred to as a mirepoix or the French trinity. Use about a tablespoon of each vegetable for every cup of broth used. Generally, there’s usually double the amount of onion than celery and carrots in official mirepoix; the ratio is 2:1:1. I’ll try that out next time and adjust here, if necessary. These aromatics add a great depth of flavor to soups, stews and GRAVY.
Start by sautéing the celery, onions, carrots and garlic in 1 stick of unsalted butter OR half a stick of butter with 1/4 cup of pan drippings, until lightly golden and onions are translucent. Sprinkle on the Wondra flour and stir to make the roux. Stir constantly until a golden color has been achieved. Allow it to cool slightly to a warm temperature, not hot, before adding the broth.
Add the WARMED stock gradually to the pan. Whisk after each addition until all has been added and the consistency is smooth. Drop in the herbs and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
Strain off the veggies and herbs. Season with salt, pepper and the Worcestershire sauce. As a fIavor booster, I add 1-2 teaspoons of Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base. To give it a more satiny texture, add a couple tablespoons of heavy cream. Adjust the seasonings, if desired.
Herbed Turkey Gravy can be refrigerated once it’s made to use within a few days or even frozen for up to 3 months. Until then, pour it over everything on your plate and savor each bite! Happy Thanksgiving!
Herbed Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
- 4 c turkey stock-warmed
- 1/4 c unsalted butter-(1/2 stick)
- 1/4 c pan drippings-(or replace with another 1/2 stick of butter)
- 1/4 c finely chopped celery
- 1/4 c finely chopped carrots
- 1/4 c finely chopped Vidalia onion
- 1 t finely minced or pressed garlic
- 1/2 c Wondra flour
- rosemary sprig
- sage leaves
- thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 t Kosher salt
- 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
- 2 t Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
- 2 T heavy cream
Instructions
- Warm stock and drippings in a saucepan.
- Sauté chopped veggies in 1/2 cup (1 stick) of melted unsalted butter( or combination of butter/drippings-1/ 4 c. each) until slightly brown.
- Sprinkle Wondra flour over veggies and stir frequently until roux obtains a golden color.
- Gradually whisk in stock, stirring constantly. Add herb sprigs and bay leaf.(*See note) Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
- Strain off veggies and fresh herbs.
- Return to low heat and season with salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce and bouillon, if using.
- Blend in heavy cream and adjust seasoning further, if needed.
- Refrigerate any leftovers promptly Use within 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
