My most recent blog post showed you how to make your own flavorful turkey stock in advance for Thanksgiving.
This year I have decided to go one step further and make the turkey gravy ahead as well…weeks ahead!
I know to some that may sound blasphemous because good gravy requires all those delicious pan drippings and fat left on the bottom of the roasting pan when the turkey is done.
The solution to this is to roast a smaller turkey ahead, using those drippings and your homemade stock (or store bought if you choose), to produce your turkey gravy well in advance.
After the gravy has cooled, package it well, and freeze until a few days before Thanksgiving when you remove it to your fridge to defrost.
Then on Thanksgiving Day all you have to do is transfer it to a saucepan, check for seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and some additional fresh herbs, and simmer it on the stove top.
Not only does this free you to attend to the other last minute details of getting the meal out, it also keeps your kitchen looking a little less like a cyclone just came through! And you have still made your gravy from scratch!
And that turkey will come in handy for some dinners, sandwiches, or soups the following week. Turkey salad, Turkey Tetrazzini or Turkey Pot Pie come to mind.
So I guess it just goes to show you…live and learn...in November of 2012 my post for this gravy recipe read…
MAKE AHEAD: Nope. The gravy needs both turkey fat and the defatted drippings from the turkey roasting pan, so though the stock can be prepared ahead, the gravy can’t be made until the turkey comes out of the oven.
And just 2 years later, we have found a way to make it ahead!
Here is the recipe again…
Turkey Gravy
( makes about 2 cups) (adapted from Food and Wine, Nov, 2003)
(For greater quantities, increase amounts accordingly)
You could take a shortcut by using packaged chicken broth, but the gravy has much more depth of flavor if you start with Rich Turkey Stock. Avoid lumps by whisking the turkey fat and flour (with a pinch of salt) until they form a smooth roux and then gradually- gradually!- add the warm stock.
Use a fat separator cup to isolate the fat from the drippings.
– 4 tablespoons turkey fat (from the drippings in the turkey roasting pan)
– Salt
– 4 tablespoons flour
– About 2 cups Rich Turkey Stock, chicken stock or broth, heated until almost boiling
– Defatted juices (from the drippings in the turkey roasting pan)
(After removing the fat, place the roasting pan over two burners, add about a cup of turkey stock, chicken broth or water to the pan, and simmer, breaking up the browned bits with a spatula, until the liquid is reduced to about half.)
– Turkey stock (optionally, chicken broth or water)
– Freshly ground black pepper
– Fresh chopped herbs such as thyme or rosemary, optional
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the turkey fat until it is warmed through.
Add a pinch of salt to the flour and, using a whisk or a fork, stir the flour into the fat and cook, whisking constantly, until a paste forms.
Continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
Gradually add the hot stock or broth in quarter-cup increments, whisking until it is completely incorporated after each addition.
Continue to cook, whisking occasionally, until the gravy simmers and thickens, about 5 minutes.
Slowly add the defatted juices and drippings and salt and pepper to taste, whisking to combine.
If desired, strain the gravy. If you prefer a thinner gravy add a little more stock.