A few weeks ago I asked Smith Bites Facebook fans to tell me what, if anything, freaked them out about cooking on Thanksgiving . . . outside of worrying about no leftovers, people said ‘making the pesky gravy’ was their number one fear . . . so for anyone with ‘gravy phobia’ we’ve put together this very short ‘how-to’ video on how to make a simple roasted gravy . . .
There are many ways to make a gravy but I find this is probably the easiest to make and has great flavor but you can also use this same method with the turkey drippings from your roasting pan. Once your turkey has finished cooking, remove from roasting pan to rest and skim off as much fat as possible (or use a fat separator if you have one) then pick up the recipe at step 7. Give me a holler if you get stuck!
ROASTED TURKEY GRAVY
Makes approximately 3 cups
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large turkey wing or 2 small ones
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 2-3 carrots, chunks – no need to peel if using organic
- 1 cup (approx) celery leaves & inside ribs, rough chopped
- 1 head garlic, split through the equator – no need to remove paper
- handful of fresh herbs: I use parsley, sage and thyme because that’s what I have growing in our garden; total amount of herbs equaled to approximately 1 cup or so
- 6 cups chicken stock, homemade if possible
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Bourbon, Brandy or Whiskey (optional, but this one little detail gives the gravy a terrific layer of flavor)
FOR THE SLURRY (which is just a fancy name for ‘thickener’):
- ½ cup water
- 3 Tablespoons flour
METHOD FOR THE SLURRY: Place into a jar with a lid and shake until smooth; use whisk if a few lumps remain. Don’t worry if one or two make it into your stock as you’ll strain your finished gravy through a fine mesh strainer before serving. Additionally, if you find that your gravy isn’t quite thick enough, make a little more slurry, repeat the steps until the gravy reaches the consistency you like.
METHOD:
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the wing, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and herbs, and cook for 5-7 minutes
- Place in the oven and roast for 35 minutes
- Remove from the oven and place over medium heat
- Remove the wing and set aside
- Add stock and simmer until it has reduced by about 1/3, 10-15 minutes
- Strain the sauce and place back into the Dutch oven
- Return to boil and add slurry mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly between additions; you may not use all of the slurry
- Once the gravy reaches the consistency you want, cook for 3-5 minutes
- Add bourbon, brandy or whiskey, if using; cook another minute or two
- Strain gravy one last time through a fine mesh strainer; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper
- Serve immediately
Wow..will make the gravy for my veggies..minus the stock and the wings 😉
That’s so interesting that gravy freaks people out. I’ve made it only once, but that’s because I don’t cook meat. But there was one year my mom wasn’t feeling well and I ended up doing 90 percent of the meal, including the turkey and gravy. I was amazed by how easy it was.
Great post and, as always, a lovely video. And HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
I think after making gravy for decades it’s easy to forget how intimidating it was at one time. I’m sure many will appreciate your tutorial Deb. I’m making both a smoked and a deep fried turkey so gravy this year is a thing all on it’s own so I might try the oven roasting method myself!
Yes! I’m terrified of making gravy. However, you, as always, make it seem so easy. I will be using this recipe next year! Thank you for sharing, sweet friend. I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving!