Classic Gravy Recipes

Steps:

• Strain the turkey pan drippings into a fat separator or large liquid measuring cup; set aside. Place the empty turkey roasting pan across two burners over medium-high heat. Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits, then cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute; add to the drippings.
• Spoon or pour off 1/2 cup of the fat from the drippings and return to the roasting pan over medium-high heat. (If you don't have enough fat to make 1/2 cup, add vegetable oil.) Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth and golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Whisk in the defatted drippings and enough broth to make 8 cups total liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until thickened, 15 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• For the brown turkey stock: In a 4-quart saucepot over medium-high heat, brown the butter and add the giblets. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook until the giblets are browned. Add the carrots, celery and onions and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are browned. Add the turkey stock, rosemary, cinnamon, sage and star anise, bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook at a slow simmer until the stock is rich and dark and reduced to 5 cups, about 1 hour. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside.
• For the gravy: When your turkey is done, measure out 1/4 cup of the fat from the roasting pan and discard the rest. Put the 1/4 cup turkey fat back into the roasting pan with the drippings, put the pan over medium-high heat and add a splash of the reserved 5 cups brown turkey stock to loosen the pieces. Whisk in the flour and remaining stock and simmer until the proper consistency is achieved, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and vinegar and season to taste.

Steps:

• When your turkey goes into the oven, start the broth: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and turkey neck and giblets; cook, stirring, until the giblets are browned, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken broth, herb sprigs and bay leaf; cover and simmer while the turkey roasts, about 2 hours. Strain the broth and keep warm; reserve the neck and giblets, if desired.
• When your turkey is done, transfer it to a cutting board and pour all the pan drippings into a degreasing cup. Add 1/2 cup of the prepared broth to the roasting pan and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. (If the bits are stuck, put the pan over a low burner to loosen them.) Add the bits and liquid to the degreasing cup.
• Let the fat rise to the top of the degreasing cup, then spoon off 1/2 cup fat and transfer to a large saucepan over medium heat. Make a roux: Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the flour browns slightly, about 4 minutes.
• Gradually add the hot broth to the roux, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Pour the dark roasting juices from the degreasing cup into the gravy, discarding any remaining fat. If desired, chop the giblets and shred the neck meat; add to the gravy. Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the flavored butter, if desired.
• Start with cold heavy cream and mix on high speed.
• After about 3 minutes, you'll have whipped cream; continue mixing.
• After about 6 more minutes, the butter will clump and separate from the liquid. Strain and wrap the butter in cheesecloth, then squeeze out the liquid.
• Tip: To make perfect rounds, shape flavored butter into a log using parchment paper; wrap and chill, then slice.
• Pumpkin
• Mash 1/4 cup canned pure pumpkin, 1 stick softened butter, 1/4 teaspoon orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon each sugar and pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of salt.
• Spiced Cranberry
• Simmer 1/2 cup cranberries with 1 tablespoon water, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 strip lemon zest, 1 cinnamon stick and 1 clove, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard the zest, cinnamon and clove; let cool. Pulse in a food processor with 1 stick softened butter and a pinch of salt.
• Bourbon-Raisin
• Microwave 1/2 cup raisins with 1 tablespoon bourbon, covered, 45 seconds; let cool. Pulse in a food processor with 1 stick softened butter, 1 tablespoon chopped chives and a pinch of salt.
• Sage Brown Butter
• Melt 1 stick butter over medium heat and cook until browned. Add 1/4 cup sage and fry 30 seconds; drain on paper towels, then chop. Let the brown butter cool; mash with 1 stick softened butter, the sage and a pinch of salt.

Steps:

• Place the giblets in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until the giblets are cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the giblets sit in the water, allowing them to cool.
• Remove the giblets from the saucepan and chop the liver and gizzards. Pick the meat from the neck bone and discard the bones. Save the giblet broth.
• Pour the turkey drippings from the roasting pan into a pitcher. Allow the fat to rise to the top, leaving the stock juices at the bottom. Ladle or pour the fat into a separate container.
• Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium heat. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the reserved fat. Sprinkle over the flour and whisk to combine, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. If it is too oily, sprinkle in another 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour. If it is too dry, add more fat and stir until the flour and fat are combined. Continue to cook the roux until it is golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
• While whisking, pour in the chicken stock. Cook, whisking gently, until the mixture begins to thicken. Pour in the stock juice drippings from the pitcher and continue to cook, stirring, until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Thin as needed with the giblet stock and additional broth if needed. Stir in the giblets and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until the giblets are warmed through, then serve.

Steps:

• Prepare the stock: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the turkey neck and giblets; cook, turning, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, thyme and bay leaves; stir to coat. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth, reduce the heat to low and simmer about 1 hour. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup; reserve the saucepan. You should have 7 cups stock-if you're short, add more broth.
• Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons butter in the reserved saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth and bubbling, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the 7 cups stock; bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Set aside until the turkey is done.
• Pour the turkey pan drippings into a fat separator and let stand until the fat rises to the top. Discard the fat (or drizzle on your stuffing). Whisk the defatted drippings into the gravy; season with salt and pepper. Reheat before serving.

Steps:

• In a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. Add Jimmy Dean sausage and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until browned, stirring frequently to break up the sausage into small pieces, then drain.
• Add flour and mix well with the sausage. Reduce heat to medium and add 1 cup of milk, stirring to prevent any flour lumps. Add the remaining milk and the salt and pepper. Bring heat up to medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles up to the top of the pan (do not allow it to boil over).
• Reduce heat to medium-low, stirring the sauce frequently until it thickens, about 5 minutes.
• Serve over cooked grits or biscuits, and top with green onions.

Steps:

• Pat the roast dry with paper towels. Rub 2 teaspoons salt evenly over the surface of the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
• Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Again, pat the roast dry with paper towels and rub with 1 teaspoon of pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown the roast on all sides, 8 to 12 minutes, then transfer to a V-rack set inside of a roasting pan (if you don't have a V-rack, use a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet.) Do NOT wipe out the Dutch oven. Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and cook until the center of the meat registers 120 to 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (for medium-rare), 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Adjust cooking time, if you like your roast more or less done. Here is a list of temperatures to test for doneness: Cook until meat thermometer registers for -- RARE - 115 to 120 degrees -- MEDIUM-RARE - 120 to 125 degrees -- MEDIUM - 130 to 135 degrees -- MEDIUM-WELL - 140 to 145 degrees -- WELL-DONE - 150 to 155 degrees.
• Meanwhile, add the chopped mushrooms to the fat in the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced onion, chopped carrot, and chopped celery and cook until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, minced garlic, and flour and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the red wine and broth, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Strain the gravy, then stir in the Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper, to taste; cover and keep warm.
• Transfer the roast to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Slice the roast crosswise against the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with the gravy.

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck, if present, from chicken; rinse chicken inside and out; pat dry with paper towels.
• Place onion and garlic in cavity; squeeze juice from lemon and set aside; add lemon to cavity.
• Tie legs together with kitchen string; tuck wings under back; brush all over with oil; sprinkle with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; place, breast side up, on rack in roasting pan; roast, uncovered; in 325F (160C) oven for 1 ½ hours.
• Roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until juices run clear when thigh is pierced and meat thermometer inserted in thigh registers 185F (85C), about 1 ½ hours; transfer chicken to platter and tent with foil; let stand for 10 minutes before carving.
• Skim fat from pan juices; sprinkle flour over juices; cook over medium-high heat, whisking, for 1 minute; gradually pour in chicken stock and reserved lemon juice, whisking until smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes; pour into warmed gravy boat.
• Cut string holding legs together; discard onion, lemon and garlic; using kitchen scissors, cut chicken into 2 breast and 2 leg portions; cut each breast in half diagonally; cut through each leg at joint to separate into drumsticks and thighs; serve with gravy.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Have a shelf ready in the middle of the oven without any shelves above it.
• Scatter 1 roughly chopped onion and 2 roughly chopped carrots over the base of a roasting tin that fits the whole 1 ½ kg chicken, but doesn't swamp it.
• Season the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, then stuff with 2 lemon halves and a small bunch of thyme, if using.
• Sit the chicken on the vegetables, smother the breast and legs all over with 25g softened butter, then season the outside with salt and pepper.
• Place in the oven and leave, undisturbed, for 1 hr 20 mins - this will give you a perfectly roasted chicken. To check, pierce the thigh with a skewer and the juices should run clear.
• Carefully remove the tin from the oven and, using a pair of tongs, lift the chicken to a dish or board to rest for 15-20 mins. As you lift the dish, let any juices from the chicken pour out of the cavity into the roasting tin.
• While the chicken is resting, make the gravy. Place the roasting tin over a low flame, then stir in 1 tbsp flour and sizzle until you have a light brown, sandy paste.
• Gradually pour in 250ml chicken stock, stirring all the time, until you have a thickened sauce.
• Simmer for 2 mins, using a wooden spoon to stir, scraping any sticky bits from the tin.
• Strain the gravy into a small saucepan, then simmer and season to taste. When you carve the bird, add any extra juices to the gravy.