Turkey Pan Drippings Gravy

Original Recipe: Here

o   ¼ c turkey fat* (sub: vegetable oil or butter)

o   ¼ c all-purpose flour

o   1 c pan drippings*

o   1-2 c broth or water (I use the potato water and a stock concentrate packet)

o   Salt and pepper**

o   Optional: splash of sherry, splash of wine, teaspoon of minced herbs like rosemary, thyme, or sage

o   *these come from the turkey pan

§  Gravy prep – remove the turkey from oven and set aside to rest. Set the pan over med-high heat on the stovetop (will probably span two burners). When the pan drippings are hot and sputtering, pour in a cup of broth and begin scraping all the bits from the bottom of the pan.

§  Separate the Fat and Drippings – Pour the deglazed pan drippings into a measuring cup and place this in the fridge or freezer. In the 30 min that the turkey is resting, the fat and drippings will separate and fat will harden. This will ease in skimming the fat. Ideally, you’ll end up with a cup of pan drippings and ¼ c fat. Make up the rest in broth or oil, respectively, if necessary. If you have a LOT more, you could even double the recipe.

§  Make a Roux – Skim fat from top of pan drippings or use a fat separator. Warm in saucepan over med-hi heat. When the fat is hot, whisk in the flour to form a thin paste. Let this cook for a few min until bubbly.

§  Add the Pan Drippings – Next up, pour in the pan drippings and whisk to combine with the roux. This will form a thick, gloppy paste.

§  Add the broth – finish the gravy by whisking in a half cup of broth. You can add more broth for a thinner gravy or let the gravy cook a few minutes for a thicker gravy. Taste the gravy and add salt, pepper, and any extras to taste.

·       Additional Notes:

o   For a very smooth gravy, strain the pan drippings before adding them to the gravy

o   Gravy can be kept refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen for up to three months. Reheat gently over low heat while whisking occasionally to prevent the sauce from breaking.

**If you're making the bacon-wrapped turkey, DO NOT ADD MORE SALT BEFORE TASTING. Always taste before adding salt or pepper, but the bacon from this turkey creates drippings that already very salty, so be sure to not even add a pinch! Also, this particular turkey makes the BEST gravy, you will get a ton of fat separating out thanks to the bacon and all the butter, so you can easily double or triple this recipe by using the stock to add to the drippings that separate out.

As another note, this is just a generic method of making gravy. You can use these basic steps and ratios to create gravies from all sorts of things!