Goin' Of The Rails On The Gravy Train! Thanksgiving 2013

I’m Goin’ Off The Rails On The Gravy Train!

Stress-induced Holiday cooking is never a good thing. After the bird is roasted to perfection and resting under its foil tent the next greatest challenge is making great gravy. Let’s face it, just as roasting turkey would be a whole lot less stressful if we did it every week so too would be making gravy! Too thin and you have more of a poultry au jus; too thick and it’s more like turkey-flavored library paste! And there is nothing less sexy at a Thanksgiving table as Lumpy Gravy! While there are shortcuts – my Mom swears by that turkey gravy mix that comes in a little foil packet – there are a few guidelines and techniques you can use to master killer gravy from practically any pan drippings from a roasted piece of meat. Now, for some gravy science…

Good gravy is comprised of surprising few ingredients – here’s the formula:

Drippings + Fat + Thickening Agent + Seasonings + Heat x Whisking = Gravy

As stated above you will need a good fat separator to make good gravy, (see the Tools section) This device make the separating of the pan drippings from the fat and helps control the amount of fat in your finished gravy. Remember: too much fat in your gravy could result in separation of the fat and thickener at the table – yuck! Too little fat and you can get a “pastey” mouth feel to your gravy. Let’s discuss what thickeners are out there…

Turkey Gravy Mix: If you are not a big, huge fan of xanthum gum, thiamine mononitrate and silicone dioxide you may want to check out some of the other thickeners below. The funny thing is, the chief ingredient in all gravy mixes is… (wait for it…) flour! Yes, flour! However, just like cake mixes these little foil packets usually work better than regular flour when it comes to making smooth, non-lumpy gravy. Just remember, if you use a mix do not add salt! There’s enough salt in one of these foil packets to kill 50 snails!

Gluten Free Turkey Gravy Mix: A newcomer to the thickener line-up this stuff looks very promising. The chief ingredient is potato starch and there isn’t a paragraph of ingredients included in the mix! While there is whey, autolyzed soy protein and guar gum this seems to be a more accessible option to the old standard foil packet mix. I am a little more than puzzled though by the graphics on the package that refers to this product as “vegetarian”… (Tofu Turkey is not an edible option on my Turkey Table… should it be on yours?)

Regular Flour: All-purpose flour, (not white whole wheat!) will work just fine if you have nothing else in the pantry. It is the stuff that cooks have used for decades and makes a passable gravy but it is tricky to use and can cause lumps. Some people also feel that regular flour is not milled finely enough for good gravy and renders a “pasty” mouth feel.

Gravy Flour: more finely milled white all-purpose flour designed for making smooth gravy. Also known as “quick-mixing” flour it is one great option instead of the gravy mix from the foil packet. I go for the Wondra brand by Gold Medal flour.

Okay, so if you are one of those millions of people out there that can’t eat flour there are some real options available for Gluten-Free Gravy!

Potato Starch or Potato Flour: This is usually the chief ingredient option to “gluten free” gravy. This stuff is also the main ingredient for those little foil packets of GF gravy mix. Bob’s Red Mill makes a great product and it will work in any gravy you need to make in the future. Store it in an air tight container in a cool, dry place.

Other Thickeners:  Cornstarch, arrowroot and wheat starch will make passable gravy if these are your only options but they tend to make “gummy” gravy and can cause lumps.

“Slurried” Speech: Speaking of lumps… I have made gravy from the Wondra flour, potato starch and gravy mixes for several years and always seem to have the same problem: LUMPS!! I can’t stand lumpy gravy and will strive to find ways to avoid them in the future. One trick to avoid lumps is to make a “slurry” out of your thickener before adding it to your hot pan drippings. So, after combining the drippings and fat in the roasting pan take up ½ cup of the liquid into a 2-cup measure and whisk the thickener into the drippings. Then, as the drippings come to a boil in the roasting pan you can whisk the thickener into your gravy rendering a smooth, lump-free gravy!

“The offal truth!” What to do with that turkey neck and bag of giblets?

What is with this plastic bag in my turkey? And what do I do with this ugly, bony neck? Put it in a small saucepan with some aromatics and make up a broth, of coarse! Most people don’t have the faintest idea what to do with the bag of giblets and neck found in most commercial turkeys. It amazes me every year how people who should know better that just simply toss this stuff into the garbage! So, why am I putting a discussion about cooking the innards of the bird in the gravy section of this Turkey Talk? Because it is the best use of the offal, or gizzards, on this Turkey Day! Here’s a recipe for Giblets Stock to use when making gravy…

Giblets Stock

I like to make up a turkey stock from the giblets bag and turkey neck to add to the gravy. It works better than water and you could cut up the parts and add them to a Giblets Gravy or for a truly Southern Cornbread Dressing! If using them in a dressing you should plan on doing this a day ahead so remove the neck and giblets bag from the thawing turkey. The reason why you want to discard the liver is twofold: it adds a bitter flavor to the stock and when cooked it has a “grainy”, unappealing texture when eaten.

reserved bag of giblets: heart, kidney, gizzards – liver discarded

turkey neck

6 c filtered water

1 bay leaf

½ tsp peppercorns

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

½ medium onion, peeled and chopped

½ tsp poultry seasoning

Remove the giblets from the package, discarding the liver, and rinse them along with the neck under cold water. Place into a small saucepan with a tight fitting lid and cover with cold water. Bring slowly to a low boil and skim the top for foam. This is protein cooking off the meat parts and removing this will make for a clear stock. When the foaming stops, after 5 minutes of boiling, lower the flame and add the bay leaf, peppercorns, veggies and seasoning. Stir the ingredients together and cover the pot. Simmer the stock for 1 to 1 ½ hours for a deep, flavorful stock. Strain the stock through a sieve over a large metal bowl and chop the kidneys, lungs and hear removing any gristle or membrane. Pull the meat from the turkey neck and chop it, put it with the chopped gizzards. Place into a bowl and cover with foil – keep in refer until ready to use in the Giblets Gravy

Gravy Recipes

Now, let’s make some killer gravy! Okay, you will find the following recipe has two packages of “turkey gravy mix” in it. My Mom tells me that this stuff is crucial to making rich, thick awesome gravy. Just remember, if you do use the turkey gravy mix don’t add any salt.

 

Mom’s Killer Gravy 

turkey pan drippings

4 Tbl turkey fat (or more for a richer gravy)

2 cups of giblets stock or filtered water, or slightly more

2 – 1 oz packages turkey gravy mix

2 tsp poultry seasoning

½ tsp ground white pepper

Using your new fat separator, separate the fat from the pan drippings and pour the drippings back into the roasting pan. Add the fat to the pan. Add the giblets stock and stir to combine. Place the pan over two burners and heat over medium high flame until starting to bubble, scraping the fond from the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the gravy mix over the hot liquid and whisk well until smooth. If the gravy is a little too thick add a little more giblets stock. The gravy will thicken as it bubbles so get it good and hot. Pour the finished gravy up into a gravy boat with a ladle.

Pete’s Killer Gravy 

turkey pan drippings

4 Tbl turkey fat (or more for a richer gravy)

2 Tbl Wondra flour or potato starch

enough water and wine to make 2 cups of liquid

2 tsp poultry seasoning

½ tsp ground white pepper

Using your new fat separator, separate the fat from the pan drippings and pour the drippings back into the roasting pan. Add the fat to the pan. Take up 1 cup of this pan liquid into a measuring cup and add the gravy flour to it. Whisk briskly until a smooth slurry is formed. Place the pan over two burners and heat over medium high flame until starting to bubble. Drizzle the slurry over the hot liquid and whisk well until smooth. Season with poultry seasoning and pepper and stir into gravy. If gravy needs thickening add more of the Wonrda gravy flour and whisk it in briskly. If the gravy is a little too thick add a little more water or wine. The gravy will thicken as it bubbles so get it good and hot. Pour the finished gravy up into a gravy boat with a ladle.

Giblets Gravy Variation

Following the recipe above add the chopped cooked giblets from the Giblets Stock. Remove some of the meat from the neck and stir everything into the gravy after it has thickened.

I have added the recipe from the Gluten-Free Thanksgiving post here to make this gravy post complete…

Gluten-Free Gravy

Just like mashed potatoes and stuffing you can’t make enough of this stuff! Store the gravy for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. This stuff freezes well, too. Makes scads of gravy. Ladle liberally over the turkey, taters and dressing!  The thing that makes this recipe gluten-free is the total lack of any flour! You can use gluten-free turkey gravy mix from Whole Foods or Sprouts but you can also substitute potato flour at home! Bob’s Red Mill has the best potato flour.

turkey pan drippings

4 Tbl turkey fat

1 c of giblets stock or filtered water, or slightly more

1 c dry white wine

¼ c potato flour of starch

2 tsp poultry seasoning

½ tsp ground white pepper

Using your new fat separator, separate the fat from the pan drippings and pour the drippings back into the roasting pan. Add the fat to the pan. Take up 1 cup of this pan liquid into a measuring cup and add the potato flour to it. Whisk briskly until a smooth slurry is formed. Place the pan over two burners and heat over medium high flame until starting to bubble. Drizzle the slurry over the hot liquid and whisk well until smooth. Season with poultry seasoning and pepper and stir into gravy. If gravy needs thickening add more of the poitato flour and whisk it in briskly. If the gravy is a little too thick add a little more water or wine. The gravy will thicken as it bubbles so get it good and hot. Pour the finished gravy up into a gravy boat with a ladle.

There is nothing like a big pile of perfectly mashed potatoes with a ladle-full of yummy turkey gravy – even if it’s gluten-free! Make scads of this stuff! The more turkey stock and fat the more gravy you can, and should make! Then, as an added bonus you’ll have plenty of leftovers for a Classic Hot Turkey Sandwich!