The best gravy forThanksgivingstarts with make-ahead turkey stock, a true roux, and the drippings from yourturkey. If you want to make stock from scratch, do it now (or anytime, for that matter, since turkey wings are available year-round and stock freezes wonderfully)—in a pinch, store-bought stock will work. Roux is simply butter or oil cooked with flour. It's used for thickening sauces, and it's what makes this gravy silky-smooth. Finally, the browned bits left in the bottom of the pan after roasting the turkey give body, richness, and roasty flavor to the gravy.
This classic gravy recipe includes options for jazzing up your gravy with a bit of white wine, Worcestershire, or apple cider. You'll need a rimmedsheet pan, a stockpot, a fine-mesh sieve, a small skillet, and a large saucepan for this recipe.
Ingredients
Makes 6 cups of gravy
Prepare Make-Ahead Turkey Stock:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange 3½ pounds turkey wings and 1 turkey neck (optional) on a rimmed baking sheet and roast, turning turkey halfway through, until golden brown, about 45 minutes.
Step 2
Transfer wings and neck to a stockpot. Pour off fat from baking sheet; discard. Pour 2 cups water onto baking sheet. Scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Pour liquid from sheet into pot with turkey. Add 1 chopped large onion, 1 peeled and chopped large carrot, 1 chopped celery stalk, 4 sprigs parsley, 4 sprigs thyme, 12 whole peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, and 10 cups water. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat to low and simmer gently until stock is reduced by at least one-third, about 4 hours.
步骤3
Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan. If you have more than 6 cups stock, simmer uncovered over medium heat until reduced to 6 cups. Let cool. Pour stock into an airtight container; cover and chill.
DO AHEAD:Stock can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled. Stock can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Make roux:
Step 4
Melt ⅓ cup unsalted butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Whisk in ⅓ cup all-purpose flour. Reduce heat to low; whisk until roux is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
DO AHEAD:Roux can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool, cover, and chill.
Add the drippings:
Step 5
Bring 6 cups Make-Ahead Turkey Stock to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1–2 cups skimmed and strained roast turkey drippings. (If you're short on drippings, skim fat from pan and add 1–2 cups water. Scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon; strain liquid into stock.) Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk in roux. Reduce heat to low; simmer gently for 5 minutes for gravy to thicken and flavors to meld. You're done!
VARIATIONS (for every 6 cups of gravy:):
Option 1:Reduce 1½ cups dry white wine in a small saucepan to 1 cup; stir into gravy.
Option 2:Add 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce.
Option 3:Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple cider and simmer for 5 minutes.
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Reviews (5)
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cat54
Michigan
11/27/2020
This recipe is foolproof and delicious! Gravy has always been my nemesis, but not with this recipe. In addition to the ease and taste, it stood the test of time since my guests were late. No need to look further for gravy recipes.
jacostello3
San Antonio, TX
11/26/2017
I made this gravy for Thanksgiving this year. I love the fact that you can make two of the core components (stock and roux) ahead of time, something that saves the cook loads of prep time on turkey day. Next time I might deglaze the roasting pan with white wine instead of water, to add some depth and flavor. Also, since there is no salt or pepper in the stock, you really do need to season the gravy after adding the drippings. I used salt and pepper only, but the recipe does offer other variations. The final result was easily the best gravy I have made for a meal like this. It was velvety-smooth and tasty. It also works great with leftovers, probably because a day of sitting lets the flavors meld together even more. This will definitely be my go-to turkey gravy recipe for holidays.
trainord
Chicago, IL
12/3/2013
With a slight tweak or two, easily the best gravy I've ever had. Everyone *loved* it, and I'll only make this gravy for turkey, probably forever. I like a gravy with some meaty texture, so I sauteed the turkey giblets in butter, then threw them in the blender with the meat from the roasted neck and a cup of stock. Also, you can save a step if you want to add wine, and just deglaze the roasting pan with it instead of reducing it separately. So delicious, and if you make the stock and roux ahead of time, it's nice and easy to pull together after the bird is done.
elissamjc
Brisbane, CA
11/23/2012
This gravy was AMAZING! I had never made turkey stock from scratch before, but it makes a huge difference in the taste of the gravy. I deglazed the pan with white wine and added it all in the gravy. I made it all in advance. This will be my go-to gravy recipe from now on.
匿名
Eau Claire, WI
11/19/2012