How to Make Turkey Gravy
Make flawless turkey gravy every time with this easy recipe.
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Are you hosting Turkey Day this year? Make it a feast to remember with these recipes and cooking tips.
You Will Need
- Cooked turkey
- Homemade turkey stock or store-bought chicken stock
- 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 8-c. glass measure
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Large, heavy saucepan
- Fat separator (optional)
- Butter (optional)
- Madeira wine (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Save the pan juices
Remove the turkey from its roasting pan and pour the juices through a fine-mesh sieve into an 8-cup glass measuring cup; skim off the fat and set aside. If the reserved fat doesn't measure a 1/2 cup of liquid, add melted butter.
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You can also use a fat separator and then pour the defatted juices into the measuring cup.
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Step 2
Add stock
Straddle the empty roasting pan across 2 stovetop burners. Pour in 1 cup of homemade turkey stock or store-bought chicken stock and turn the burners on high.
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You can substitute Madeira wine for the 1 cup of stock.
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Step 3
Deglaze the pan
Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan until all the stuck-on pieces get mixed with the stock. Pour it through the sieve into the measuring cup containing the pan juices, and add more stock to the cup until you have 2 quarts.
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Step 4
Make a roux
Make a roux: Pour the reserved fat and the flour into a heavy saucepan and whisk it over low heat for about 5 minutes.
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Step 5
Add the drippings
Continue whisking as you slowly pour in the juice-stock mixture and bring it to a boil.
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Nonstop whisking during this part is the secret to avoiding lumps when you make turkey gravy.
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Step 6
Add drippings
Add any drippings that have been released from the resting bird and simmer over low heat until the gravy is thick, whisking occasionally, no more than 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
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In a poll, Americans ranked gravy #5 on the list of essential Thanksgiving foods, after mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, candied yams, and green bean casserole.
