Best-Ever Gravy
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From Thanksgiving 101 (Broadway Books), by Rick Rodgers
There are a lot of ways to make gravy — thickening with
a flour-water paste or cornstarch, using a saucepan or a roasting pan.
But, here's how to make the most delicious, grease-free, lump-less,
dark mahogany gravy in the world.
- The proportions for gravy are 1-1/2 tablespoon each fat and all-purpose
flour to each cup of liquid, part of which should be the pan drippings.
Use these proportions for any size turkey and any amount of gravy.
For example, to yield slightly less than 4 cups of gravy (some of
the liquid will evaporate during simmering), use 6 tablespoons each
fat and flour, and 4 cups of liquid. If your family likes thicker
gravy, increase the fat and flour to 2 tablespoons — you can always
thin it out with more stock.
-
The secret to dark, rich gravy? Dark, rich pan drippings.
Let the drippings evaporate into a dark brown glaze during roasting,
but don’t let them burn. Whenever the pan looks dry, moisten the
drippings with more turkey stock, wine or water so they don’t scorch.
The darker and heavier your roasting pan, the darker and richer
the drippings. Aluminum roasters make wimpy drippings!
-
Always degrease the drippings and stock before making
gravy, reserving the skimmed fat. Pour the pan drippings into large
glass bowl or measuring cup. Let stand for 5 minutes so the clear
yellow fat can rise to the top of the drippings. Use a large spoon
to skim off the fat and transfer it to a small bowl. If you don’t
have enough fat to make the amount of gravy needed, melt butter.
-
The degreased drippings add color and flavor to
the gravy. Combine them with the turkey stock or chicken broth to
get the desired amount of liquid. You’ll never resort to commercial
gravy coloring again.
-
Use a flat paddle whisk to avoid lumpy gravy. My
flat, plastic whisk has become an indispensable tool.
-
Allow 1/3 cup gravy per person, more if you want
leftover for sandwiches.
Pan drippings from roast turkey
About 3 1/2 cups Homemade Turkey Stock,
or use canned reduced-sodium chicken stock
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Freshly milled black pepper
Salt
- When the turkey is done, transfer it to a serving platter and
set aside. Pour the pan drippings into a 1-quart glass measure,
medium bowl, or gravy separator. Leave any browned bits in the bottom
of the roasting pan. Let stand for 5 minutes. Using a large spoon,
skim the clear yellow fat that rises to the surface and reserve
(or pour fat out of separator into another bowl). If the drippings
don’t seem dark enough, pour half back into the roasting pan and
set over two burners. Bring to a boil over high heat. As the drippings
reduce and darken, and occasionally pour in the remaining drippings
until the liquid in the pan is as dark as you want. The amount of
drippings will decrease, but the finished gravy will be darker and
taste better without having to resort to bottled gravy coloring.
Add enough stock to the drippings to measure 4 cups total cooking
liquid.
-
Set the roasting pan on top of the stove over 2
burners on moderately low heat. Add 6 tablespoons of the reserved
fat to the pan. Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisking constantly.
Let the mixture bubble, whisking constantly, until it browns, 1
to 2 minutes. It is important to let the mixture cook for a minute
or two to allow the flour to lose its raw taste, but adjust the
heat as needed to keep it from burning. Whisk in the cooking liquid,
scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Simmer for
2 to 3 minutes, whisking occasionally. If the gravy seems too thin,
increase the heat to medium and boil until it is as thick as you
wish. If desired, strain the gravy through a wire sieve to remove
any extraneous bits of drippings.
Giblet Gravy:
If you have made Homemade Turkey Stock,
finely chop the cooked giblets and neck meat. Or, simmer the giblets
and neck with 6 cups (about 3 cans) canned reduced-sodium chicken broth,
6 cups of water, 1 small sliced onion and 1 coarsely chopped small carrot
until tender, about 2 hours. Strain the mixture and use in place of
the Homemade Turkey Stock.
Roast Garlic Gravy:
For every 4 cups finished gravy, stir in 2 tablespoons roasted garlic
purée. To roast the garlic, preheat the oven to 400°. Cut each
garlic head in half crosswise. Drizzle the cut halves with the oil then
season with a sprinkle of the salt and pepper. Put the halves back together
to reform into heads. Wrap each head in aluminum foil and place on a
baking sheet. Bake until the garlic is tender when squeezed and the
cut surfaces are deep beige (open up the foil to check), about 35 minutes.
Cool completely. Squeeze the softened garlic pulp out of the hulls into
a bowl; discard the hulls. Mash the garlic until smooth with a fork.
Wine Gravy:
Substitute up to one-fourth of cooking liquid with dry white or hearty
red wine. For example, for about 4 cups of gravy use 3 cups cooking
liquid and 1 cup wine.
Spiked Gravy:
For every one cup of cooking liquid, add 1 to 2 tablespoons dry sherry,
ruby or tawny port, Madeira, brandy, Cognac or bourbon. Do NOT over
do the alcohol, or the gravy will be too strong.
Herbed Gravy:
For every 4 cups finished gravy, stir in up to 2 tablespoons minced
fresh herbs, such as thyme, sage, rosemary, parsley, or tarragon, or
a combination.
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