Baby, Give Me the Gravy

By definition gravy is a benefit of value beyond what is expected. Gravy may not be essential but it surely is not superfluous. Thanksgiving would be much diminished without the gravy.

I discovered gravy at the table of my grandmother. She was a farm girl of
German descent and loved to roast a whole loin of pork for Sunday dinner. The ensuing pork gravy was ambrosia, as good as any sauce produced by Escoffier or his minions. A little ladle over the meat and spaetzle noodles introduced a little boy to a flavor so rich and decadent as to approach mortal sin.

Turkey gravy is also very good but often arrives at the table a lumpy, greasy mess as the harried holiday cook scrambles to get the elaborate meal to the table.

Early in the day as you prepare your bird or birds for roasting make a simple stock of the necks, wing tips (buy extra at the grocers) some chopped onion, carrot, celery and parsley. Simply cover all the bones and parts with water, bring to a simmer for 45 minutes then let cool on the stove top. When the stock is cool, strain it and skim off any floating globules of fat, add a can of low sodium chicken broth to enhance the mild flavor. Save for later, to moisten your stuffing and add to the gravy.

You can extract the most juice from a bird by using those plastic roasting bags, they do cook a good moist bird at a reduced time but the skin will not brown in a plastic bag and there will be no flavor laden crusty bits (la fond) at the bottom of the roasting pan. I like cooking my turkey the old fashioned way where the turkey is tented in aluminum foil and basted periodically throughout the entire cooking time. The foil is lifted in the last half hour, the oven temperature is raised 50 degrees, the skin is browned and the fond forms at the bottom of the pan.

Take the bird out of the roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil and let rest until carving time. Skim all the fat from the bottom of the roasting pan, then add a few cups of the turkey stock. Turn the heat up to medium under the pan and work the fond with plastic spatula (one that will not melt) until the crusty bits begin to dissolve and release their incredible flavor. Taste and add additional stock until the pan drippings reach the desired intensity of flavor. Thicken with a roux made of butter and flour, the skimmed turkey fat and flour or a lower fat slurry of corn starch and flour. You shouldn't get any lumps but if you see any don't be afraid to put the gravy through a strainer before filling the gravy boat.

Bon Appetit baby. Please pass the gravy.