MAKE-AHEAD GRAVY

Make-Ahead Gravy image

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner doesn't have to be hectic and stressful. One way I like to make my day easier is to make my gravy ahead. Make our simple homemade turkey stock, then pan roast turkey bones and vegetables to develop a concentrated turkey flavor base. Do not be intimidated by making your own stock. It's a simple step that can make all the difference to elevate and enrich the flavors of your gravy and Thanksgiving dinner. Chopped turkey bones are very gently simmered with aromatic vegetables on the stovetop for hours, resulting in a delicious, rich turkey stock. Turkey bones are cheap and easy to come by around the holidays, but chicken bones or wings are an acceptable substitute. Add your stock and herbs, simmer, thicken, strain and you have gravy! A great make ahead step, and one less thing to worry about when it's time to get dinner on the table.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 5h30m

Yield 3 1/2 to 4 cups of gravy and about 8 cups of homemade turkey stock

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound turkey or chicken wings, plus the neck from your turkey if available, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
6 sprigs thyme
4 fresh bay leaves
8 cups homemade turkey stock (recipe follows) or good-quality store-bought turkey or chicken stock
1/2 ounce dried mushrooms, such as shiitakes, porcini or a mix (optional)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 pounds turkey wings, roughly chopped (or use chicken wings)
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 head garlic, halved crosswise

Steps:

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the turkey wings and cook, undisturbed, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir, then continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 5 more minutes. Add the celery, onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water, the thyme and bay leaves; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Add the turkey stock and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Add the dried mushrooms, if using, and simmer until reduced by one-third, about 30 minutes.
Mix the butter and flour in a small bowl to make a paste. Stir into the simmering gravy and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large container. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate up to 5 days. Reheat over low heat.
Combine the turkey wings, carrots, celery, onion and garlic in a large pot. Add 2 gallons cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low or medium low to maintain a gentle simmer.
Simmer the stock about 4 hours, occasionally skimming any scum that rises to the surface with a spoon. Strain into another pot, discarding the bones and vegetables. Let the stock cool completely. (For faster cooling, set the pot of stock in a large bowl; add enough ice water to the bowl to come about halfway up the sides of the pot and let cool, stirring the stock occasionally.) Transfer the stock to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 5 days.