Best The Perfect Gravy Recipes

THE BEST GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and turkey neck and giblets; cook, stirring, until browned, about 15 minutes. Add the broth, herb sprigs and bay leaf; cover and simmer about 2 hours (do this while the turkey roasts).
• Once your turkey is done, transfer it to a cutting board to rest and pour the pan drippings into a large fat separator cup. Strain the broth; save the giblets for chunky gravy, if desired.
• Put the roasting pan on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of the broth to the pan and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Transfer the liquid and bits to the fat separator.
• The fat will rise to the top of the degreasing cup. Spoon off 1/2 cup fat and transfer to a saucepan. (If you don't have enough turkey fat, add butter to measure 1/2 cup total.) Scatter in the flour and whisk to incorporate. Cook over medium heat, stirring in a figure-eight motion with a wooden spoon, until the flour mixture browns slightly, about 4 minutes.
• Gradually ladle the hot broth into the flour mixture, whisking constantly (this is key, or your gravy will be lumpy). Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the gravy simmers gently.
• Add the remaining turkey drippings to the gravy, leaving any extra fat behind in the fat separator. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper.

FOOLPROOF GRAVY

Steps:

• Pour drippings into a 2-cup measuring cup. Skim and discard fat. Add enough broth to the drippings to measure 2 cups; transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil., In a small bowl, whisk flour and milk until smooth; gradually stir into drippings mixture. Stir in the bouillon granules, poultry seasoning and white pepper. Return to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

PERFECT GRAVY

Steps:

• Remove turkey from the roasting pan. In a small jar, shake flour with water until smooth; set aside.
• Leaving carrot, onion, and turkey neck in the pan, remove 2 to 3 tablespoons of fat from the bottom, using a baster.
• Place pan over medium heat; add chicken broth. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Simmer the mixture until the sauce has darkened, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the vegetables and the turkey neck from the pan, and discard. Strain the sauce into a large measuring cup; discard any solids. You should have approximately 3 1/2 cups of strained liquid; add more stock if needed.
• Return the liquid to the pan; bring it to a simmer. Whisking constantly, gradually add the flour mixture.
• Cook mixture until gravy is smooth, has no lumps, and is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 10 to 12 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

PERFECT TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Make giblet stock while turkey is roasting.
• Transfer roasted turkey to a large platter. Pour juices from the pan into a fat separator. Set aside to separate, about 10 minutes.
• Strain stock, discarding solids, and return to saucepan; warm over low heat. Place roasting pan on top of stove over medium-high heat. Pour Madeira into measuring cup, then into pan, and let it bubble; scrape bottom and sides of pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge cooked-on bits.
• Make a slurry: Place flour in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Ladle 1 cup stock into jar, and close lid. Shake until combined. Slowly pour into roasting pan; stir to incorporate. Cook over medium heat, stirring until flour is cooked, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly stir in remaining stock.
• Raise heat to medium high. Add the dark drippings that have settled to the bottom of the fat separator to roasting pan. Discard fat. Stir in rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 10 to 15 minutes to reduce and thicken. (For thicker gravy, add 1 more tablespoon flour and 1/2 cup less stock.)
• Strain liquid from pan through a very fine sieve. Adjust seasoning. Keep warm in heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water until ready to serve.

BEST GRAVY EVER

Steps:

• Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and set aside to rest. Leave the drippings from the turkey in the pan and place the roasting pan over medium heat. Add the broth and wine at the same time. Whisk to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan until all of the bits have come loose. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes in order to reduce the mixture slightly. Transfer the liquid to a fat separator and let sit for 5 minutes to allow fat to separate. Return 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the fat to the roasting pan and place over medium-high heat. Discard any remaining fat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture starts to thicken and become smooth, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Once this happens, gradually add the liquid back to the pan and whisk until smooth and you have reached your desired consistency, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Remember, your gravy should be slightly thin in the pan as it will thicken once you serve it. Add the herbs and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• 2 to 3 days before roasting:
• Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
• Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
• Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:
• Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
• Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
• Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 151 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

HOMEMADE GRAVY

Steps:

• In a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan, cook the butter and onions over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Don't rush this step; it makes all the difference when the onions are well-cooked.
• Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisk in, then add the salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock mixture and Cognac, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Add the wine and cream, if desired. Season, to taste, and serve.