Roasted Turkey Gravy ... You Can Make it Ahead of Time!

I love to make my Roasted Turkey Gravy a day ahead of a holiday meal... it's one more thing out of the way.. it just reduces stress in the kitchen when preparing the final details of a meal.  I'm not big on making the gravy from giblets... and a few years ago came on a recipe that uses smoked turkey wings... we loved it and it now is a staple in our house when serving roast turkey.

This gravy recipe is also very doable anytime.. not just for holidays... even when making a dinner of hot turkey sandwiches... It's a perfect recipe when you don't have giblets available and want to make a gravy and not use one of those jarred or powdered gravies.

This recipe is very, very easy.... I promise you!  The recipe is slightly altered from Tyler Florence's recipe at the Food Network. 

His gravy is far too thin for our liking so I make mine thicker.  The method I use is a bit different also..  he thickens his gravy by adding the flour in with the vegetables... I thicken it traditionally by first making a roux of butter and flour and slowly adding hot liquid ...  it makes for a smooth gravy. The butter ... in my opinion.. also adds to the overall flavor of the gravy.

He roasts his vegetables with the smoked turkey wing... which I do also... he only uses 1 large or 2 small wings... I usually use about 3 good sized wings... I found the flavor is better with more. 

He uses far more oil than I do... I found it isn't necessary.

And finally... he removes the wings from the pot after roasting and simmers the broth with the vegetables only... I leave one wing in while simmering.. I know it adds a bit more of grease.. but .. again.. I found the flavor a bit bland when I followed his recipe completely.

TIPS

The original recipe uses fresh herbs... which honestly... is the way to go ... especially for a holiday meal... I do use dried herbs in its place if I have to.. and the gravy comes out fine.  Start with a teaspoon of thyme and 1 teaspoon of sage.. and add more to your taste.

If you do use dried herbs.... add them to the pot right after you add the vegetables... then add the turkey wings... I made the mistake once of adding them after the turkey wings... and not much got on the vegetables... you want the flavor of the herbs infused into the vegetables... since you will be removing most of the wings after you're done roasting them...

If you do think too much of the dried herbs are taken out when you take out the wings.. don't worry.. you can always add more.

Notice a salt quantity isn't listed... you really don't need much.. the smoked wings will add salt to your gravy..  do a taste test at the very end and adjust to your tastes.

When you cut the vegetables... it's a really rough chop... a 5 minute prep time is not an exaggeration.  When you cut your garlic... I just remove a few of the those loose paper thin layers around the garlic. 

I recently found turkey stock in the grocery store... what a great find... it was so difficult to find in previous years... so if you can find it.. (be warned .. it is more expensive than chicken stock)... but if you want to...by all means... use it!

Try this delicious recipe... it is so easy!

Recipe:  Roasted Turkey Gravy

All you need:

About 2-3 tablespoons olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pot)

3 good sized smoked turkey wings

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

2 carrots, chopped

1 large rib celery, chopped

1 head garlic, split through the equator

4 stems fresh sage

4 sprigs fresh thyme

6 parsley stems

6 cups chicken or turkey stock

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

Salt and pepper to taste

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the vegetables and herbs.. then the turkey wings.  Cook for about 5 minutes.

Place the pot in the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes.

Remove the pot from the oven and place on the stove.  Remove two turkey wings, leaving one.  Add the stock to the pot and bring it to a simmer.  Simmer for about 45 minutes or until it is reduced by 1/4.  Strain the gravy and return it to the pot.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and then add the flour.  Stir until well mixed and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes to cook off the flour taste. 

Slowly add some of the hot liquid from the cooked stock... whisking vigorously to ensure it remains smooth.  Keep adding more stock until you have about 2 to 3 cups of very thick gravy. 

Add it to the remaining stock and whisk to make sure it is smooth and no lumps.

Add salt and pepper and adjust seasonings to taste.