It’s a given that your Christmas Eve meals should be a class apart from what you make every other day. While many love trying out new recipes, it is always a good idea to go for something traditional. The best recipe is probably one that does not take too much time, yields thick and luscious gravy and borrows flavor from the drippings and pan-gravy to add character to the bird.
A roast turkey is the show-stopper for Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner, accompanied with old-fashioned turkey gravy, mash and some greens. With this recipe, learn How to make Turkey Gravy in the traditional style!
Classic Turkey Gravy:
For the broth, melt two tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large pan or stock pot. Add one medium onion or leek, turkey neck and giblets and cook, stirring constantly. After about fifteen minutes, the giblets shall be browned. Now, add eight cups of low-sodium chicken broth, along with one sprig of thyme, parsley or rosemary and one bay leaf. Simmer the broth on low heat for two hours. After the cooking process is complete, strain the broth and keep warm.
To begin, start by placing the turkey on another platform, away from the oven pan. Place the pan with all the drippings and pan gravy on the stove on a medium heat. When the pan gets hot and the liquid starts spluttering, add a cup of stock and slowly start scraping the bits from the bottom and sides.
With the deglazed liquid collected, pour into a cup and place it in the refrigerator for a good thirty minutes. This will allow time for the gravy and the fat to get separated, after which the fat can be used to make the turkey gravy. Roughly, what will be left are one-fourth cup of fat and a cup of the drippings.
To proceed, separate the fat and melt it over low heat in a pan. Add one-fourth cup of refined flour to it and whisk until the flour is incorporated. This will form a thick paste. Continue cooking, whisking the fat-flour mixture constantly while doing so.
When cooked for a couple of minutes, finish by adding the pan drippings, slowly and whisking to ensure it does not form lumps. Once added and absorbed, pour the broth and continue to cook on low heat. After cooking, check the consistency. If too thin, continue cooking for a couple of minutes and if too thick, add a cup or two of the broth till it reaches the desired consistency.
Taste the gravy for seasonings and add salt or pepper as needed.
Last minute fixes for an easy Turkey Gravy:
For smooth gravy, ensure you strain the pan drippings and the broth before adding it.
If you are left with excess gravy, refrigerate or freeze it for future use. Refrigerated gravy lasts for about a week while freezing extends the shelf life up to three month. To defrost frozen gravy, begin by taking out the desired quantity and whisking it gently over low heat.
Sources:
“Classic Turkey Gravy,” Food Network web site;[Author name, day and date not mentioned] http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/classic-turkey-gravy-recipe.html, last accessed December 19, 2016.
Stitt. F., “Easy Turkey Gravy,” My Recipes web site, November 2012;[Day not mentioned] http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/easy-turkey-gravy, last accessed December 19, 2016.
