Replies

Ok You all sound like wonderful cooks...What about gravy? I've made the worse gravy. Sometimes so thick it's nasty...no one eats it and I've gone to buying the jarred stuff.

HELP

What about gravy?

My hubby makes the best giblet gravy on the planet. How he makes it I have no idea and neither do I want to learn, otherwise it would be something else for me to make. But I can say this, it's delicious.

For a simple gravy, I usually just take the pan I've cooked in, discard any grease (but save just a little), and SAVE those brown bits that have formed in the bottom of the pan. Deglaze with wine, reduce a little, add a little broth, and then thicken with sine corn starch (or flour) disolved in water. You have to let it heat until it boils before you know how thick it will turn out. If it isn't thick enough, add more corn starch.

For giblet gravy to go with a Thankgiving turkey, try this recipe. I haven't made it, but hubby has, and it was outstanding:

Perfect Giblet Gravy:

Giblets, wing tips and neck bone from turkey
2 quarts cold water
1 onion, chopped
1 to 2 ribs celery, chopped
3 tbs chopped parsely, or to taste
Fat (can be poultry fat, butter, or margarine)
flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

While turkey cooks (or the day before), cover giblets, wing tips and neck bone with water in a large pot. Add onion, celery and parsley, simmer 2 hours. Strain broth and reserve for gravy.

Pick meat from neck and wing tips; finely chop all giblets and meat; set aside. Pour broth into bowl; let stand a few minutes or chill in refrigerator until fat rises to the top. Skim off fat; reserve liquid for gravy.

For each 2 cups gravy desired, use 3 tablespoons fat, 3 tablespoons four and 2 cups broth. Measure fat into saucepan. Over low heat, blend in four, cook until bubbly, stirring constantly with a wire whisk.

If desired, brown fat and flour slightly to enhance color and flavor. Remove pan from heat. Stir in broth; whisk constantly until blended with fat-flour mixture. Add chopped giblets and meat. Simmer gently 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 8 (1/4 cup) servings.

Since most of this can be done the day ahead (first 2 paragraphs of instructions), that doesn't leave much to be done on Turkey day to finish it up. I like anything that I can do ahead of time!

SIGH! I've never seen a recipe book that REALLY tells how to make good homemade gravy. I learned from my own failures. And I sure did have some failures. So, here's how to make the best gravy you ever tasted:

ALWAYS make the gravy in the pan you used to cook the turkey. (The same is true for any other meat.)
Once the turkey is removed from the pan, place the pan on the burner.
Put in a cup or two of warm water
Turn heat to med. high
Stir to release all the good drippings from the pan. THAT'S where the good flavor starts.
Add chicken cubes, or crystals. The number of cubes or crystals will depend on how big your turkey is. I always start with four cubes and add more when I taste the gravy as it's cooking. (Don't burn your mouth on that spoon. LOL)

Add a couple of cups of HOT water.

AND HERE COMES THE REAL SECRET.
Cook the gravy down while you prepare other foods, but keep an eye on the gravy

ADD STILL MORE HOT WATER
Cook the gravy down some more

If the flavor is not yet scrumptious, then:

ADD STILL MORE HOT WATER and cook the gravy until it's ALMOST the consistancy you want.

The secret is in cooking the gravy a long time to let the flavor blossom.

Then mix flour and warm water into a light paste and add it to the gravy. Stir until you get the right consistency.

If you have too much fat in the gravy, drain some of it off.

SERVE