American Kitchen Classic Basic Turkey Gravy Recipes

CLASSIC TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Pour turkey drippings into a 2-cup measuring cup. Skim fat, reserving 2 tablespoons; set aside. Add enough broth to the drippings to measure 2 cups., In a small saucepan, combine flour and reserved fat until smooth. Gradually stir in the drippings mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

SIMPLE TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Pour turkey drippings and loosened browned bits from roasting pan into a 4-cup measuring cup. Skim fat, reserving 2 tablespoons. Add enough broth to the drippings to measure 3 cups., In a large saucepan, whisk flour, 3/4 cup broth and reserved fat until smooth. Add thyme, sage and pepper; gradually whisk in the drippings mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until thickened.

SIMPLE TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat fat from turkey drippings in a saucepan over medium-low heat until liquefied, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk flour into turkey fat until golden, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk liquid from turkey drippings and turkey stock into fat-flour mixture; increase heat to medium and cook, whisking continuously, until gravy is smooth and desired consistency, 5 to 10 minutes. Season gravy with pepper.

EASY GRAVY FOR TURKEY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Arrange the garlic halves and sliced onions side by side in a single layer of foil with some foil to spare. Drizzle with the olive oil and season generously with salt. Wrap the foil over into a little package and place in the oven. Roast until completely tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 45 to 50 minutes. Carefully open the foil and let cool. Squeeze the garlic out of their skins, using a fork or a knife if necessary to pry them out. Discard the skins.
• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer the sherry until reduced to a couple of tablespoons, about 10 minutes.
• Once the turkey has been transferred from the roasting pan to a cutting board to let rest, put the roasting pan over 2 burners and heat over medium high. Add the chicken broth. Using a whisk, scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and onions, mustard, vinegar, salt to taste, pepper and reduced sherry. Let the flavors infuse for a couple of minutes. Transfer most of the onions and garlic and some of the liquid from the roasting pan, about 1 1/2 cups, to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the puree to the roasting pan and bring to a boil, Cook, constantly whisking, until reduced to desired consistency. Adjust the seasonings.

CLASSIC TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• When your turkey goes into the oven, start the broth: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and turkey neck and giblets; cook, stirring, until the giblets are browned, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken broth, herb sprigs and bay leaf; cover and simmer while the turkey roasts, about 2 hours. Strain the broth and keep warm; reserve the neck and giblets, if desired.
• When your turkey is done, transfer it to a cutting board and pour all the pan drippings into a degreasing cup. Add 1/2 cup of the prepared broth to the roasting pan and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. (If the bits are stuck, put the pan over a low burner to loosen them.) Add the bits and liquid to the degreasing cup.
• Let the fat rise to the top of the degreasing cup, then spoon off 1/2 cup fat and transfer to a large saucepan over medium heat. Make a roux: Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the flour browns slightly, about 4 minutes.
• Gradually add the hot broth to the roux, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Pour the dark roasting juices from the degreasing cup into the gravy, discarding any remaining fat. If desired, chop the giblets and shred the neck meat; add to the gravy. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the flavored butter, if desired.
• Start with cold heavy cream and mix on high speed.
• After about 3 minutes, you'll have whipped cream; continue mixing.
• After about 6 more minutes, the butter will clump and separate from the liquid. Strain and wrap the butter in cheesecloth, then squeeze out the liquid.
• Tip: To make perfect rounds, shape flavored butter into a log using parchment paper; wrap and chill, then slice.
• Pumpkin
• Mash 1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin, 1 stick softened butter, 1/4 teaspoon orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon each sugar and pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of salt.
• Spiced Cranberry
• Simmer 1/2 cup cranberries with 1 tablespoon water, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 strip lemon zest, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 clove, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard the zest, cinnamon and clove; let cool. Pulse in a food processor with 1 stick softened butter and a pinch of salt.
• Bourbon-Raisin
• Microwave 1/2 cup raisins with 1 tablespoon bourbon, covered, 45 seconds; let cool. Pulse in a food processor with 1 stick softened butter, 1 tablespoon chopped chives and a pinch of salt.
• Sage Brown Butter
• Melt 1 stick butter over medium heat and cook until browned. Add 1/4 cup sage and fry 30 seconds; drain on paper towels, then chop. Let the brown butter cool; mash with 1 stick softened butter, the sage and a pinch of salt.

CLASSIC ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Let the turkey sit at room temperature, 30 minutes. Position an oven rack in the lowest position (remove the other racks); preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and set aside for the gravy. Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels and rub inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the onion, carrot, celery, and sage and thyme sprigs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Put the turkey on a rack set in a large roasting pan and tuck the wings under the body.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat; whisk in the paprika and chopped sage and thyme. Let the paprika butter cool slightly, then brush all over the turkey. Transfer to the oven and roast 1 hour. Meanwhile, make Classic Gravy.
• After the turkey has roasted 1 hour, baste with the drippings. Continue roasting, basting every 30 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 2 more hours.
• Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before carving; reserve the drippings for the gravy.
• Prepare the stock: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the turkey neck and giblets; cook, turning, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaves; stir to coat. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth, reduce the heat to low and simmer about 1 hour. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup; reserve the saucepan. You should have 7 cups stock-if you're short, add more broth.
• Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in the reserved saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the 7 cups stock; bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Set aside until the turkey is done.
• Pour the turkey pan drippings into a fat separator and let stand until the fat rises to the top. Discard the fat (or drizzle on your stuffing). Whisk the defatted drippings into the gravy; season with salt and pepper. Reheat before serving.

CLASSIC TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart glass measure (do not clean roasting pan), reserving fat. (If using a fat separator, pour pan juices through sieve into separator and let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes).
• Carefully pour pan juices from separator into a 2-quart measure, and reserve fat left in separator.) If there is less than 1/2 cup reserved fat, add melted butter.
• Add enough turkey stock to pan juices to total 8 cups liquid (2 quarts).
• Straddle roasting pan across 2 burners, then add 1 cup of remaining stock and deglaze pan by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 1 minute.
• Pour through fine-mesh sieve into glass measure with stock.
• Whisk together reserved fat and flour in a 4-quart heavy saucepan and cook roux over moderately low heat, whisking, 5 minutes.
• Add hot stock with pan juices in a stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, then bring to a boil, whisking.
• Stir in any turkey juices accumulated on platter and simmer gravy 1 minute.
• Season with salt and pepper.

TURKEY GRAVY FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 4 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle turkey parts lightly with salt and pepper, place in roasting pan and brush with melted butter. Roast 2 hours, basting with butter every 20 minutes or so.
• Transfer roasted turkey to a stockpot and set roasting pan aside. Add onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns to stockpot. Add cold water just to cover, bring to a simmer and cook, slightly uncovered, about 6 hours.
• Meanwhile, place roasting pan on top of stove and bring juices to a simmer over low heat. Pour in wine (or water), stirring and scraping to bring up browned bits. (If using wine, simmer at least 5 minutes.) Pour all liquid into a bowl and refrigerate. When deglazing liquid is cool, lift off top layer of fat; reserve fat. Add deglazing liquid to stockpot.
• When stock is golden and flavorful, strain into a large container and refrigerate. When cool, lift off fat and mix it with reserved fat from deglazing liquid. Reserve 3 quarts stock for gravy and refrigerate or freeze the rest for another use.
• In a deep skillet or large heavy pot, melt 12 tablespoons (3/4 cup) reserved turkey fat over medium heat. If you do not have enough turkey fat, use additional butter to make 3/4 cup. Gradually whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking, until golden brown and toasty-smelling, 3 to 5 minutes or longer for darker gravy.
• Whisk in a small amount of stock (this prevents lumps), then add remainder more quickly and whisk until smooth. Simmer, continually whisking, until thickened. If too thick, thin with more stock or a little wine and simmer briefly. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, whisk in a few tablespoons cold butter to smooth and enrich gravy.

AMERICAN KITCHEN CLASSIC BASIC TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of stock to a boil. Remove from heat and keep warm.
• Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking, for 1 minute. The roux will become smooth and golden brown. Keep whisking!
• Within 2-3 minutes it will be the color of cafe au lait (golden brown) and smell slightly toasted. Gradually whisk in the warm stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat so the gravy is at a bare simmer.
• Add the bay leaves, mushrooms and Madeira and let simmer until grav is reduced by half. Remove the bay leaves and the mushrooms by a slotted spoon. Keep warm until turkey is finished.
• Transfer the turkey to a carving board and strain the drippings from the pan into a measuring cup. Skim the fat, add enough water to measure 1 cup.
• Place the roasting pan over two burners on medium high heat. Add the drippings mixture and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Strain into the gravy and simmer until slightly thickened, 10 minutes. Season to taste and serve.