I need gravy help

[scottsins]

gravy is one of the few things I have no experience with.

a few inlaws prefer brown gravy. too bad. they also use white bread for dressing, so they are irrelevant.

I grew up on giblet gravy, but i want to jsut do "turkey" gravy. Wife likes cream gravy (don't even think it).

I bought a bunch of turkey thighs to roast off and render fat from, but that's all I know.

I am frying the turkey so some of the usual "drippings" will not be in play.

I have 3 turkey thghs and one neck/bag of giblets right now.
Help.

I would also like to premake some of this to cut down on T-Day cook time, if that is possible.

k thx bai.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Scott- I'd suggest cutting the thigh pieces in half to expose as much bone as possible. Put them and the necks etc. along with some rough cut onion/celery/carrot onto a cookie sheet, and roast for about 45 minutes at 375°.

Remove from the oven and deglaze the pan with white wine.
Add all that to a large pot, and add chicken stock, white wine and water.
Simmer for roughly 25-35 minutes to reduce.
Remove the turkey and vegetable pieces taste for seasonings.
I suggest just starting with S&P, sage, parsley and two or three bay leaves.
In a separate small skillet, make a small amount of blond roux.
After your roux cools, bring your gravy mixture to a near boil, and to start adding small amounts of the roux until you reach the desired thickness.
Remember, the roux will not reach its full thickening power until the liquid it's in is at a boil.
From there, check again for seasonings, and the strain.

 

[1990txgirl]

Similar to Dallas Cowpoke's method, but I boil the turkey parts and use a different thickening agent.

*Boil your turkey parks with rough cut carrots/onion/celery in enough water to cover all the ingredients.
*Reduce to low heat; cover and simmer for at least one hour
*Salt and pepper to taste as the broth simmers
*Add fresh sage, parsley and/or savory if you want a little more flavor
*Strain out all solids and de-fat broth (or let sit overnight and skim off fat)
*For thickening agent, mix 1 part corn starch to 2 parts COLD chicken broth (I usually use 1/3 c. to 2/3 c.)
*Bring your gravy broth back to a boil, then slowly add the thickening liquid until you reach the desired consistency. As with Dallas Cowpoke's roux, the corn starch mixture will not thicken until your gravy base is boiling.

Good luck!

 

[NickDanger]

Tyler Florence has a great recipe on Foodtv.com

 

[scottsins]

it would seem as if i could make the stock tomorrow night or wed. night, and then build the roux and finish the gravy on the big day, right?

also, can/should I make my stuffing ahead of time and jsut reheat on thurday? that would save time and allow me to jsut concentrate on turkey.

*** I am making green bean casserole too. i used emeril's recipe. the first step was completed last night, which is making cream of wild mushroom soup from scratch. i highly recommend it.


****** how much roux/stock am i looking for? alton brown had some ration, but i can not find it.

 

[NickDanger]

You can definitely make the stock ahead and you can make the dressing ahead, but I wouldn't cook it until Thursday.

 

[scottsins]

so assemble the dressing, using the oysters, oyster liquor and chicken stock, and just keep it uncooked completely, in the fridge until thursday?

sounds like a plan. I'll make the turkey stock tomorrow, or wed. night, since i'll have the neck pulled then for brining.

Also, what about my "white gravy"? should i make more turkey fat for that, or fry off some bacon/sausage? I would think the turkey thighs/neck is what I would use.

 

[NickDanger]

I'm just spitballing, but I'd leave it dry until a little before time to cook. It won't take THAT much time on Thursday. I've made dressing the night before, but not with oysters and the oysters give me a little pause. I'm not sure why, but I try to cook oysters about 5 minutes after opening them. You can definitely do all the bread stuff ahead of time.

I used to do all sorts of dressings with blue cornmeal and chorizo or roasted pine nuts, etc and everyone liked them, but they eventually told me they wanted it the way granny made it at the turn of the century. 1900, not 2000. I gave up and it IS good.

Tyler's is a brown gravy, btw. I think I have 2 cups of stock left over from the last time I made it. It's thawing now.

 

[longhrnfan]

I'm going to throw a different style out there:

Make chicken stock... whole chicken, celery, onion, garlic, carrot.

Drain, and keep broth hot.

In a pan, melt a stick and a half of butter at low temp. Slowly mix in flour until you reach a non-oily peanut butter like mixture (maybe just more fluid). Cook for a bit, but do not brown.

slowly ladle the hot broth into the hot roux.

Keep on pourin it in, until you have what looks like gravy. Its ok to over-do it because you can always thicken it. You can't thin it, however, that easily. Pour in like half a bottle of 8 dollar white wine. Let it simmer, the gravy should roll, for a few hours. The wine cooks off, and the gravy thickens. RIght before you are ready, pour heavy cream into it to taste (maybe two cups worth). Salt and Pepper to taste.

Simple. Amazing.

 

[hullabelew]

I gave up on making gravy because gravy gave up on me. If someone at my house wants gravy, they are welcome to make it.

 

[scottsins]

i never worry about measurements, but can someone give me a guideline for how much stock and roux i'll need for graavy for 8 people?

I just can't go by feel on this like everything else I cook, since i have zero experience here.

 

[scottsins]

got the thighs, celery, onions and carrots roasting.

by the way, i haven't seen any recipes where the vegies are roasted with the turkey, but i like the depth that i think it will bring.

so, how much water and how much stock?

 

[scottsins]

i'm goiing for it solo i guess.

not a lot of really "brown bits", since i had a good layer of EVOO in the cookie sheet.

not, i dumped all of that stuff, 3 stalks celery, 4 carrots, one large onion, a little sage, 6 chicken thighs in a pot.

to the liquid, about 3/4 cup white wine, about 4 cups of chicken stock, and about 4 cups water.

how is that? more water? more stock?

 

[led224]

Here's how we make it:

Like most above, take the neck and internal organs and simmer them with celery, carrots, an onion and a bay leaf for awhile and strain it. Set it aside.

Roast your turkey parts, put the drippings into a pyrex and put it into the fridge. The grease will rise to the top and get firm.

Take 1/4 cup of the grease from the drippings and a 1/4 cup of flour and cook it in a pan on high until the mixture turns a nice deep brown. Add two cups of stock to it and stir, cook on low until it's thick. If it's taking too long to thicken, add a little corn starch. Salt and pepper to taste.

Easy to do and it's very, very yummy.