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First, use the neck/giblets to make a broth while the turkey roasts.
Cover the parts with water and bring to a boil. You can add herbs, onions, spices, etc. to this if you like. Turn down and simmer at least 2 hours--add more water if need be. Strain and reserve the broth. Remove the meat from the neck bones and finely mince it and the giblets to use in the gravy.
When the bird is done, remove it from the pan and pour off most of the fat into a cup or small pan. Don't throw it away quite yet.
Bring the broth back to a simmer.
Sprinkle flour over the fat still in the pan (NOT THE ONE YOU RESERVED). You will want to use about 1 tablespoon of flour per 1 tablespoon fat per each cup of gravy. Let the flour sit and fully absorb the fat. If there is still liquid fat in the pan, sprinkle in a bit more flour and let it sit until it is absorbed (This will result in gravy that is lump-free and does not have fat floating around on top).
Once the fat is absorbed into the flour, turn on the burner and let the drippings begin to cook as you stir the mixture to keep it from scorching. This cooks the flour so you don't get a "raw" or pasty tasting gravy. Now you can add the hot broth as you continually stir the gravy. It will thicken and blend beautifully.
Taste the gravy and add salt and pepper, etc. as needed. There is usually enough flavour in the drippings that you can afford to add another cup or two of water. Just be sure to use your taster before you dilute it too much.
If the gravy is too thick, stir in a bit of water until you reach the right consistency. If it is too thin, this is where your reserved fat comes in... put 2-4 tablespoons of the fat in a little cup and add an equal amount of flour. As the gravy is bubbling, stir this mixture into it a bit at a time until you have the consistency you want. Using the fat with the flour adds a bit of flavour at the same time. When the gravy is done, stir in the meat from the broth.
Posted by Peggy Geromette
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A