Made from savory turkey drippings, this rich turkey gravy will elevate your Thanksgiving turkey to a whole new level. It may be prepared ahead of time, saving you time and stress on the big day, and it not only complements every meal on your table!
Every year, I serve this recipe for turkey gravy with my Thanksgiving turkey—in fact, it’s what makes the turkey—because it’s my favorite. The recipe is loosely based on the Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook by Ina Garten. You can prepare it quickly and simply while your turkey is resting from roasting. You can, however, prepare it mostly ahead of time and simply whisk in the turkey drippings when reheating if you’d want to have an early start.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE TURKEY GRAVY
As you can see, the recipe calls for 2½ cups of defatted turkey drippings combined with chicken broth. This mixture serves as the foundation for your gravy, giving it a distinctively Thanksgiving-y flavor and color. While the turkey is resting, remove the juices from the roasting pan and transfer them into a separator—a useful device that separates the fat—to collect the turkey drippings. Just fill them off with store-bought chicken broth, as the drippings alone usually don’t yield 2½ cups.
The addition of a stick of unsalted butter, a quarter cup of finely chopped yellow onions, a half cup of all-purpose flour, a tablespoon of heavy cream and Cognac, and some chopped fresh herbs results in a rich and flavorful sauce.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
1Melting the butter in a medium saucepan first.
Add the onions.
2Cook for about 15 minutes, or until very soft.
3To eliminate the taste of raw flour, whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes.
4Next, whisk in the Cognac and your turkey drippings or chicken broth.
5Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes; mix in cream and fresh herbs.
6Use salt and pepper to season to taste. Keep in mind that because turkey is flavorless, the gravy needs to be heavily seasoned. Additionally, to ensure the proper flavor, always taste the gravy with a piece of meat.
HOW TO MAKE TURKEY GRAVY AHEAD OF TIME
Without the turkey drippings, the gravy can be prepared up to two days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. To make the gravy, just use two cups of chicken stock and, when the turkey is cooked, add around half a cup of defatted turkey drippings. When reheating, dilute the gravy with water or chicken stock to the desired consistency, as it will thicken in the refrigerator.
Turkey Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1½ cups finely chopped yellow onions
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- Defatted turkey drippings plus chicken broth to make 2½ cups
- 1 tablespoon Cognac or Brandy
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, sage, rosemary or parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until very tender and transparent.
- Cook, whisking occasionally, for two to three minutes after adding the flour. Over medium-high heat, whisk in the Cognac and turkey drippings/chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for approximately five minutes, stirring now and again, until the mixture thickens. Add the cream and fresh herbs, then season with salt and pepper to taste. (Since turkey is very bland, gravy needs to be heavily seasoned; I normally add at least ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, but the amount of salt you add will depend on the salinity of your broth and drippings.) Pour the gravy into a gravy boat and proceed to serve.
- Make-Ahead Advice: The gravy can be prepared up to two days in advance and chilled, without the turkey drippings. Once the turkey is cooked, use 2 cups of chicken stock and around ½ cup defatted turkey drippings to reheat the gravy. When reheating, dilute the gravy with water or chicken stock to the desired consistency, as it will thicken in the refrigerator.
