THE SUNSET TABLE · FOOD · THANKSGIVING

Homemade Turkey Gravy

Gravy is one of those things my family had to come around to. It isn’t part of our cuisine, and every can, packet, or box we tried tasted artificial and honestly just wasn’t good. But turkey and mashed potatoes need a good gravy, so I started making mine from scratch with homemade stock and the drippings from my turkey. It’s savory, rich, and a little addictive. My family always says, “We could drink it like soup.” It’s that good.

SERVINGS

20 servings

COOK TIME

1 hour for the stock, plus onion cooking and about 10 minutes simmering

METHOD

Stovetop · Stock made the night before

Ingredients

For the homemade stock

  • 1 turkey neck, from your turkey
  • 1 rotisserie chicken carcass
  • Vegetable scraps: onion, garlic, and carrot odds and ends
  • Fresh rosemary and sage
  • 4 cups water

For the gravy

  • ½ cup butter (1 stick)
  • ½ onion, finely chopped
  • Separated fat from the turkey drippings
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • All the strained homemade stock from the night before
  • 2–3 cups turkey roasting juices, with the fat separated
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • Salt, to taste

My ingredient notes: I freeze rotisserie chicken carcasses for homemade stock, and Thanksgiving is when one comes in handy. The turkey neck and vegetable scraps turn those odds and ends into the base for this gravy.

My turkey usually gives me another 2–3 cups of roasting juices. Keep both the juices and the separated fat; they each go into the gravy.

Wait until the gravy comes together before adding salt. The turkey drippings bring their own seasoning, so taste first.

Instructions

  1. Make the stock the night before. Place the turkey neck, chicken carcass, vegetable scraps, rosemary, sage, and 4 cups of water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour.
  2. Strain the stock and discard the solids. Refrigerate the stock overnight.
  3. The next day, save the turkey drippings. Separate the fat from the roasting juices, keeping both for the gravy.
  4. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the finely chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown. Add the reserved turkey fat.
  5. Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring continuously.
  6. Gradually whisk in the homemade stock, followed by the turkey roasting juices, until the mixture is smooth.
  7. Add the dried rosemary and black pepper. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the gravy reaches your desired consistency.
  8. Taste and add salt as needed. Leave the softened onions in the gravy and serve warm.

My serving notes: This makes enough for about 20 people at my Thanksgiving table, with gravy for the turkey and mashed potatoes.

Serve it warm, and give it a stir before filling the gravy boat. The softened onions stay in; they’re part of the flavor.

If you’re choosing a gravy boat, go for one that’s easy to refill. At my house, “we could drink it like soup” means one pour probably won’t be enough.

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