Best gravy ever starts in the roasting pan, with broth and red wine whisked into the turkey drippings and every stuck bit scraped loose. The fat gets separated, measured and turned into a roux with the flour. Twenty five minutes, made while the bird rests on the board.
Pour the pan liquid through a fat separator and put back a measured amount, not all of it. Turkey throws off far more fat than a third of a cup of flour can hold, and the surplus floats on top.
The card on the source page is two recipes stacked together. Only the first seven lines are gravy, and everything from the frozen turkey down belongs to a separate brined roast with candied ginger in it.
Best Gravy Ever
Course: SauceCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalPan drippings deglazed with broth and red wine, poured off and defatted, then built back into a roux and whisked smooth with fresh herbs. Made in the pan while the turkey rests.
Ingredients
Drippings from 1 roasted turkey
24 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth
8 ounces red wine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh herbs, such as oregano, thyme or rosemary
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Deglaze the pan: Lift the turkey out of the roasting pan and set it aside to rest, leaving the drippings behind. Put the pan over medium heat, add the broth and wine at the same time and whisk, scraping the bottom until all the stuck bits come loose.
- Reduce: Cook another 2 to 3 minutes to reduce the mixture slightly.
- Separate the fat: Pour the liquid into a fat separator and leave it 5 minutes. Return 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the fat to the roasting pan and discard the rest.
- Make the roux: Set the pan over medium high heat, whisk in the flour and cook 2 to 3 minutes, whisking without stopping, until it thickens and turns smooth.
- Finish: Add the separated liquid back gradually, whisking 5 to 6 minutes until smooth. Keep it slightly thin in the pan, because it thickens once served. Whisk in the herbs and season with salt and pepper.
FAQs
How many calories are in this gravy?
The source gives no nutrition, so this is calculated from the ingredients at about 170 calories a serving across eleven. Nearly all of it is the turkey fat in the roux. Return half a cup instead of three quarters and you drop around forty calories a plate.
Can I make it without turkey drippings?
You can, and butter stands in for the fat at the same amount, but you lose the browned bits that make it taste roasted. A good stock and a splash of the same red wine get you close. Call it pan gravy rather than turkey gravy and nobody minds.
Why did my gravy turn out greasy?
Too much fat went back into the pan for the flour to carry. The recipe returns up to three quarters of a cup of fat against only a third of a cup of flour. Keep the two roughly level and the gravy stays glossy instead of slicked.
How is this different from a milk gravy?
Milk gravy is built on butter, flour and milk, so it is white and mild and belongs on biscuits. This one is built on drippings, stock and wine, so it is dark and savory and belongs on meat. For the creamy kind, try this cracker barrel gravy.
What should I serve it with?
Turkey first, since that is where it came from, then anything on the plate that needs a sauce. Potatoes are the real reason most people make gravy at all. A bowl of buttermilk mashed potatoes underneath it is the point of the whole exercise.
