Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

By kathya5084

This is a wonderful way to take some of the last-minute pressure off your Thanksgiving meal. You won't have to be whisking up a roux at the last minute and hoping you have enough drippings for the gravy. Instead, you can simply bring the premade gravy up to a simmer and season it with a bit of the pan drippings from the turkey roasting pan.
This recipe is adapted from Cook's Illustrated magazine and can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before the holiday. Most of the cooking time is the stock simmering on the stove, which doesn't require your hands-on attention.

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 pounds turkey necks and backs, purchased at the market
• 1 package of giblets or gizzards,purchased at the market
• 1 medium carrrot, coarsely chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 celery rib, coarsely chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 small onions, coarsely chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 180mins

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Place turkey giblets, necks, backs, carrot, celery, onions, and garlic into a large flameproof roasting pan. Spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray and toss to combine. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until well-browned, about 1 hour.
Remove roasting pan from oven, and place over 1 or 2 burners set at high heat. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Transfer contents of the roasting pan to a large stockpot or saucepan. Add wine, 3 cups of water, and thyme sprigs; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until reduced by half, about 1 1/2 or 2 hours. Strain stock into a large measuring cup or container. Cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until fat congeals, about 1 hour.
Skim fat from the stock and reserve. Pour the stock through a fine-mesh strainer to remove remaining bits of fat; discard bits in strainer. Bring stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. In a second medium saucepan, heat 4 Tbsp of the reserved turkey fat over medium-high heat until bubbling (if you don't have 4 Tbsp of fat, make up the difference with butter). Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until combined and honey-colored, about 2 minutes. Continuing to whisk constantly, gradually add the hot stock; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To serve: bring the gravy to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add about 1/4 cup of defatted turkey pan drippings, a few grinds of black pepper, and then stir well to combine. Taste the gravy, and add more pan drippings if needed. Adjust seasonings with more salt and pepper if necessary, then transfer the gravy to a boat or other container and serve.