Gravy Basics
Making gravy can be a daunting task if you've never made it before. You may have heard horror stories about lumpy, flavorless gravy. Well, it doesn't have to be that way! (and it doesn't have to come from a jar or envelope!) There are a few basic principles to making gravy and most recipes will expand on them to include different flavors and ingredients.
Basic gravy terminology
giblets
drippings
thickener
Giblets are the heart, gizzard and liver pieces that come with your turkey. They are usually included in a packet stuffed inside the turkey that also contain the neck piece.
Drippings are what accumulate in the bottom of the roasting pan when you are cooking your turkey. They are usually greasy and require that some fat be removed. They are a key element in making rich, flavorful gravy.
Thickener is what gives gravy its consistency. It can be flour, cornstarch, arrowroot or a variety of other thickening agents. Flour and cornstarch are the most common but you will see recipes calling for others.
Let's get started!
The first step is getting that turkey in the oven. Without it, you won't have drippings. Of course, you can make gravy without drippings (using an alternate fat source like bacon grease) but for Thanksgiving you've got the drippings going on anyway so you might as well use them! While the turkey is cooking you can simmer the giblets and neck (and turkey wing tips if you remove them when cooking your turkey) in water in a saucepan. Even if you aren't going to use the giblets in your gravy this is a necessary step to get some good broth for the gravy. You can also quarter an onion and dice some celery to add to the cooking water. Let this cook for at least an hour at just a simmer (do not boil it). If you have a small crockpot (one of the one quart size) you can also cook the broth in there all day. Depending on the quantity of stock you end up with you may need additional liquid for your gravy. Homemade turkey or chicken stock is best but you can also used packaged broth.
When the turkey is done, remove it from the roasting pan and pour the drippings through a fine mesh sieve into a container. Deglaze the roasting pan with one cup of stock. Pour the deglazed liquid through the sieve into the container with the drippings. Let it stand for a few minutes then remove any fat that has risen to the top, but reserve about 1/4 cup of the fat. Discard any excess fat. Place the reserved fat into a large saucepan and whisk in 1/4 cup of flour (you want the amount of thickener to equal the amount of fat). Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture begins to lightly brown. DO NOT BURN! Watch the mixture the entire time because it can burn very fast.
When the roux is ready (it will be thick, bubbly and light golden brown), slowly whisk in the stock (adding more stock as needed). Cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. It will start to thicken while on the heat and will continue to thicken once you are done cooking it (so keep that in mind). If you want to add the giblets to the gravy, chop them before adding, and mix them into the hot gravy.
This is a basic, thick turkey gravy. Simply season to taste with salt and pepper.
A rule of thumb for gravy thickness:
Thin gravy: 1 tbsp fat, 1 tbsp flour, 1 cup liquidMedium gravy: 2 tbsp fat, 2 tbsp flour, 1 cup liquid
Thick: 1/4 cup fat, 1/4 cup flour, 1 cup milk
Gravy Recipes