10 Ways to Turkey
Holiday gatherings are often all about tradition. Sometimes our nostalgia is built around memories of food and family. Even if something in us wants things to be the same, mixing it up can create new ...
Whether you struggle with making roux or need to stay away from gluten for other reasons, this is a great solution to the gravy problem. This gravy uses a homemade turkey stock that can easily be swapped out for chicken or beef.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- Giblets from 1 turkey (neck, liver, heart and gizzards)
- Turkey backbone (if spatchcocking)
- 6 cups water
- Optional herbs
- Drippings from cooked turkey, plus 2-4 tablespoons of rice stuffing
- Cornstarch (or cassava flour)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
The day before or morning of:
In a 4-quart stockpot, melt butter over medium-high heat. When melted, add giblets and backbone.
Brown on all sides.
Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. If desired, add herbs of choice (bay, thyme, sage, rosemary, etc.)
Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for at least 6 -8 hours, adding water as needed to keep giblets covered completely. Remove giblets from stock and remove bones. Finely chop all offal and meat from neck and back.
If made ahead, stock and chopped giblet meat can be refrigerated in tightly sealed containers in the refrigerator.
On the Feast Day:
After turkey is cooked, remove turkey from roasting pan and place pan over 2 burners at medium-low heat on the stove.
Add 1 cup of premade turkey stock and whisk well. In ½ cup of water or cooled stock, add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch or cassava flour. Whisk until smooth and add this slurry slowly into pan, whisking continuously.
Add 1-2 cups of warm stock and stir until gravy begins to thicken. If it is too thick, add more stock. If it is too runny, make another slurry with water/stock and 2 tablespoons cassava/cornstarch and add in small increments until gravy is desired thickness.
Stir in giblets and reserved rice stuffing to make a slightly chunky gravy.
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