If there’s one thing at Thanksgiving that approaches the level of precious commodity, it can be the gravy.
A 25-pound turkey may be enough to feed a crowd, but its drippings may barely make enough gravy to cover half of those plates of turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, not to mention the leftover hot turkey sandwiches.
A friend and co-worker likes to tell the story of how she had worked hard to make the perfect pan of gravy one Thanksgiving, only to have it ruined by overzealous relatives who feared there would not be enough and took it upon themselves to stir into her gravy a jar of the pre-made kind.
While the story ranks among her favorites filed under “holiday horrors,” concern about not having enough gravy is real for many cooks, particularly when there's a crowd coming for dinner.
You'll need about › to of a cup of gravy per person, which means you'll need 2 to 3 quarts of gravy or more for 20 guests.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways to supplement that gravy and make enough for a crowd without having to resort to pre-made glop from a jar.
Turkey broth or stock works well for making additional gravy that can then be whisked into the gravy that you make fresh from the turkey drippings.
You can make your own stock by using the parts that come with the turkey, the neck and giblets. (Yes, that's why they include them with the bird).
Ever wonder just what the giblets are exactly? Traditionally, they are the heart, gizzard, and liver of the turkey. Sometimes the packet of giblets may include the kidneys too.
You won't want to use the liver to make your stock as it can make the stock bitter.
Simply put the parts in a saucepan with about a quart of cold water. Add one rib of celery (including the leaves), one small yellow cooking onion cut in half, one peeled carrot, and some sprigs of fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper and the herbs of your choice, such as a bay leaf or thyme. Place over medium heat and once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour. Strain and use the stock for gravy.
If you don't have the time or inclination to make your own stock, you can use pre-made turkey stock or broth or even low-salt chicken broth. Akron company More Than Gourmet, which makes sauce and stock bases, has a classic roasted turkey stock base that comes in really handy for this task. It comes in 1.5-ounce packages and can be found in many local grocery stores. (Visit www.morethangourmet.com for information.) Simply dissolve the stock base in 2 cups of hot water, and you are ready to go. To make larger quantities for a crowd, use two or three packs.
When getting a roasted turkey on the table, making the gravy is generally the last task before carving the bird. But I recently came across a recipe from television chef and cookbook author Sara Moulton for make-ahead gravy, which I thought was a great help. I'm including it here along with More Than Gourmet's formula, so that no one will run out of gravy and everyone will have a happy Thanksgiving.
SARA'S MAKE-AHEAD GRAVY
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter
› cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken or turkey broth, heated
› cup dry red or white wine
Reserved liquid from turkey roasting drippings
Reserved liquid from turkey resting platter
In a medium saucepan over moderate low heat, melt butter.
Whisk in flour and cook, whisking, for 5 minutes. Add broth in a stream, whisking, and bring to boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Let gravy cool. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill overnight. Gravy will be thick but you will be adding liquid and thinning it before serving.
Once your turkey is done roasting, platter it and cover it loosely with foil. Pour drippings from roasting pan into fat separator and discard fat. Reserve drippings. Place roasting pan over two burners of the stovetop over medium heat. Add wine and reserved drippings, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Whisk in pre-made gravy and any juices from the resting platter.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, cooking until well combined and hot.
Makes enough gravy for eight.
To increase amount of pre-made gravy, follow this calculation: 1 cup broth, 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons flour will equal another 1 cup of gravy (approximately two servings).
— Sara Moulton for
Chef's Choice
SIMPLE TURKEY GRAVY
1› tbsp. unsalted butter
1› tbsp. all-purpose flour (or sweet rice flour to make gluten-free)
1› oz. More Than Gourmet Classic Roasted Turkey Stock (Glace de Volaille Gold) dissolved in 2 cups hot water
1 tsp. dried tarragon (optional)
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Melt butter in small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and continue to cook until it is a rich, nutty brown, stirring continuously. Whisk in the diluted turkey stock, making sure to incorporate all the flour, and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the tarragon, if using.
Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 2 cups.
— More Than Gourmet
Lisa Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or labraham@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @akronfoodie and read her blog at http://lisa.ohio.com.
