Whats your T-giving gravy recipe?

[BunnySlippers]

Iam looking for tasty ideas. My gravies tend to taste like nothing, and/or are lumpy or wierd in some way.

I found this recipe on the net, it seems ok...

1/2c AP flour
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
6c stock

-skim fat from pan.
-whisk in flour, S&P.
-cook over med-hi; stirring and scraping up brown bits for 1min.
-Gradually whisk in stock and bring to boil;
-reduce heat and simmer, stir until thickened
-Strain

[noobmom]

My new way of making gravy is in the blender. I roast my chicken with carrots, celery, and onion in the pan. While the bird is roast, I simmer the gizzards with some water to make a stock. I take all the drippings (skim off the fat) and some of the veggies and just whiz it up in the blender with the stock. It makes a really delicious gravy. If I was trying to make a lot of gravy for Thanksgiving, I would some some canned stock too.

[velochic]

I make mine in the traditional way my grandmother taught me.

I roast my turkey on a roasting rack with aromatics in the bottom. When the turkey is resting, I strain the juices and skim off some of the fat. I put the roasting pan on top of the stove, and add the flour, salt and pepper to the bottom, pulling up the fond and browning the roux. If there is not enough fat to make a good roux, I'll add a knob of butter. When the flour is a pale, nutty brown, add in all of the skimmed juices and whisk as it comes up to a boil to determine the consistency. If I need to thin it or there aren't enough juices to make enough gravy, I add organic chicken stock (or turkey stock if I can find it). Grate a tiny bit of fresh nutmeg and check for seasonings. Near the end of cooking the gravy, I add just a splash of cream or half-n-half to add some body and great flavor.

[Llyra]

I put the pan of drippings on the stove, and throw in a handful of finely diced shallots, or onion. Let that cook on medium-low until the onions are soft and translucent. Then I put in the flour, and let that cook-- but longer than a minute, more like five, so you don't get that floury taste. Then I put in a few spoonfuls of dry white wine-- chill it first. Then cold stock. I don't have a recipe with quantities, though-- I just wing it. Then plenty of salt and pepper.

I think you get a richer flavor with some aromatics (onion, shallots, or garlic) and with the wine.

I also make giblet stock, while the bird is roasting-- like the PP mentioned. But I also usually have stock frozen, so I would use some of that, too, if I needed a lot of gravy.

[SophieAnn]

Originally Posted by velochic

I make mine in the traditional way my grandmother taught me.

I roast my turkey on a roasting rack with aromatics in the bottom. When the turkey is resting, I strain the juices and skim off some of the fat. I put the roasting pan on top of the stove, and add the flour, salt and pepper to the bottom, pulling up the fond and browning the roux. If there is not enough fat to make a good roux, I'll add a knob of butter. When the flour is a pale, nutty brown, add in all of the skimmed juices and whisk as it comes up to a boil to determine the consistency. If I need to thin it or there aren't enough juices to make enough gravy, I add organic chicken stock (or turkey stock if I can find it). Grate a tiny bit of fresh nutmeg and check for seasonings. Near the end of cooking the gravy, I add just a splash of cream or half-n-half to add some body and great flavor.

I do mine exactly like this (from watching my grandmas and my mom) except for a couple differences:

No nutmeg
No cream (but that's a good idea!)
If the gravy needs thinning we use the strained potato water (from boiling the potatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste if needed

We save all the potato water, turnip water, etc. when we drain our veggies and use it when making turkey soup! Thanksgiving dinner is always followed by an evening of turkey soup-making.

[cristeen]

You have a couple problems going on. If your gravy is bland, then you need flavor. Some good sources are onion, garlic (or anything in those families), mushrooms, wine/vermouth, etc. A lot of what you're looking for here is umami, which can also be found in things like soy sauce, miso or anchovies/fish sauce.

Your liquid also needs flavor - roasting add beautiful flavor to stock. If there was a tky neck, put it in a small oven/stove safe pan w some chopped onion, carrot, celery and some oil and roast that for the first hour or so next to your bird. Deglaze it w some water or wine, cover w water and simmer for an hour or so and you should have a nice flavorful stock to mix w your drippings.

And dont forget salt and pepper. A good gravy needs enough of both.

So that deals w flavor. Your other stated problem was lumps. Thats a common complaint when you thicken w cornstarch, which is not my first choice. I much prefer flour gravies. Once you've browned your roux, add the first c of liquid slowly while you madly beat it w a whisk. Make sure you get into every corner of the pan. If your gravy is still pasty, keep adding liquid slowly. Once it's past paste and you have no lumps, you can just add the rest of the liquid.

The other option always being the blender, of course.

[Llyra]

To deal with lumps, it can help if the liquid you're adding (whether it be stock, potato water, or whatever) is cold, when you add it to the hot roux.

[BunnySlippers]

These are fantastic tips/recipes, thank you all

[karne]

Originally Posted by velochic

I make mine in the traditional way my grandmother taught me.

I roast my turkey on a roasting rack with aromatics in the bottom. When the turkey is resting, I strain the juices and skim off some of the fat. I put the roasting pan on top of the stove, and add the flour, salt and pepper to the bottom, pulling up the fond and browning the roux. If there is not enough fat to make a good roux, I'll add a knob of butter. When the flour is a pale, nutty brown, add in all of the skimmed juices and whisk as it comes up to a boil to determine the consistency. If I need to thin it or there aren't enough juices to make enough gravy, I add organic chicken stock (or turkey stock if I can find it). Grate a tiny bit of fresh nutmeg and check for seasonings. Near the end of cooking the gravy, I add just a splash of cream or half-n-half to add some body and great flavor.

Do we have the same grandmother, lol? Mine taught me the same way, and I have never made a bad gravy. The only other thing I do differently is to simmer the giblets in water, w/ a bay leaf, carrot and onion, to make a small amount of stock to use if I need more liquid.