Guy Fieri turkey gravy is an easy make ahead Thanksgiving gravy built on a rich, slow simmered homemade stock of roasted turkey legs and wings. That makes it a stress free holiday side for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, since it is made days early and skips pan drippings entirely.
Roast the turkey parts and vegetables until deeply browned before any water goes in, because that color is where the gravy gets its flavor. Then scrape every stuck bit off the roasting pan as the water heats, since those browned bits turn into the deep, dark stock.
Guy built this recipe for an episode about Thanksgiving disasters, so it is designed to take the gravy off the big day completely. The stock makes 8 cups, which means half goes into the gravy and the rest is ready for stuffing, soup or reheating leftovers.
The roux is the one thing to fix. It calls for 4 tablespoons butter to 3/4 cup flour, three times more flour than fat, so the paste turns dry and lumpy. Use 6 tablespoons each instead, and cook it 3 to 4 minutes so the flour loses its raw taste.
Guy Fieri Turkey Stock and Amazing Gravy
Course: Side DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy14
servings25
minutes4
hours65
kcalTurkey legs, wings and neck roasted with vegetables and simmered into a deep, dark stock, then whisked into a butter roux with sage and black pepper.
Ingredients
- For the Turkey Stock:
1 turkey leg
2 turkey wings
1 turkey neck
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large garlic cloves
2 Vidalia sweet onions, quartered
2 carrots, cut in thirds
3 stalks celery, cut in thirds
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
6 fresh sage leaves
4 quarts water
- For the Amazing Gravy:
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups warm turkey stock
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Roast the turkey parts: Heat the oven to 400F. Rub the leg, wings and neck with oil, season with salt and pepper and roast skin side down in a large roasting pan for 45 minutes.
- Add the vegetables: Lower the oven to 350F. Lift out the turkey, toss the garlic, onions, carrots, celery, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pepper and sage in the pan juices, set the turkey skin side up on top and roast 35 minutes more.
- Simmer the stock: Set the pan over the burners, add 4 quarts water and scrape up the stuck bits. Simmer uncovered over medium-low for 2 hours, until deep in color.
- Strain and skim: Strain out the turkey and vegetables, pressing the vegetables through the strainer. Let the stock settle and skim the fat from the top.
- Make the gravy: Melt the butter in a large saute pan, stir in the flour and cook at least 1 minute. Add the warm stock 1/2 cup at a time, whisking, until the gravy reaches the consistency you like, then add the pepper, sage and salt and adjust the seasoning.
FAQs
Can I make Guy Fieri turkey gravy ahead of time?
Yes, and that is the whole point of the recipe. Make the stock up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it, then whisk up the gravy a day before or that morning. Reheat the gravy gently with a splash of stock, since it thickens as it chills.
How should I cool and store the stock?
Eight cups of hot stock cools slowly, so divide it into shallow containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours, following the chill guidelines. Once cold, lift off the hardened fat from the top. The stock keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge or about 3 months in the freezer.
Where do I buy turkey legs, wings and necks?
Most supermarkets sell them in the poultry case in November, often in family packs. Ask the butcher counter if you do not see them, or use the neck from your Thanksgiving bird and add extra wings. Chicken wings work in a pinch, though the stock tastes milder.
What do I serve this gravy with?
Pour it over sliced turkey and a big bowl of mashed potatoes, since the peppery sage flavor is made for both. These buttermilk mashed potatoes are a good match. Extra gravy also turns leftover turkey into open faced sandwiches the next day.
Can I make this gravy gluten free?
Not with the flour roux as written, but the stock itself is naturally gluten free. Thicken it with sweet rice flour instead, which reheats as smoothly as a wheat roux. This gluten free gravy shows exactly how to do it.
