Foolproof Giblet Gravy Recipes

Steps:

• Place turkey giblets and neck into a saucepan with 4 cups water and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Simmer until broth is reduced to 3 cups, about 1 hour. Strain broth and reserve 1/2 cup of giblets; chop.
• Combine giblet broth and turkey drippings in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk cornstarch in 1/2 cup cold water in a bowl until smooth. Whisk cornstarch into stock and drippings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and stir chopped giblets and hard-cooked egg into the gravy. Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer until gravy is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Heat pan drippings in a large skillet over medium heat; gradually add flour and stir until golden brown.
• Slowly whisk in turkey stock until blended and smooth. Stir in giblets, and season with sage, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

Steps:

• Pour drippings into a 2-cup measuring cup. Skim and discard fat. Add enough broth to the drippings to measure 2 cups; transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil., In a small bowl, whisk flour and milk until smooth; gradually stir into drippings mixture. Stir in the bouillon granules, poultry seasoning and white pepper. Return to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

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:

• Pour the contents of the giblet bags into a large saucepan. Cover with water and boil until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside. Remove the giblets from the pan, allow them to cool, and then chop up the gizzards and liver. Pick the meat from the neck. Discard the bones.
• Pour all the turkey drippings out of the roasting pan into a separate container. Allow grease to separate from the juices. Ladle out the fat into another bowl.
• Place the roasting pan over 2 burners over medium heat (there should be lots of yummy brown bits in the pan). Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the fat back into the pan. Whisk it around to evenly distribute it throughout the pan. Sprinkle 5 to 6 tablespoons of flour over the grease and whisk to combine it with the fat, loosening the bits from the bottom of the pan a little in the process. Cook the roux until it becomes a deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Pour in the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Add 2 to 4 cups, depending on your need. Cook the gravy, whisking gently, until the mixture begins to thicken. Pour in a little bit of the turkey drippings, but be aware that because the brine is so salty, these drippings are very salty. Keep cooking the gravy until thick, adding in chopped giblets, to taste, as well as plenty of black pepper. Use the giblet water from the saucepan to thin the gravy if it gets too thick.
• Serve when very thick and flavorful.

Steps:

• In a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan, cook the butter and onions over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Don't rush this step; it makes all the difference when the onions are well-cooked.
• Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisk in, then add the salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock mixture and Cognac, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Add the wine and cream, if desired. Season, to taste, and serve.

Steps:

• Stage 1 MAKE BROTH.
• Up to 3 days ahead cut turkey neck and heart in half.
• Put into a large saucepan along with gizzard and remaining broth ingredients.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours.
• Add liver and simmer 30 minutes longer or until gizzard is very tender.
• Remove giblets to a cutting board.
• Strain broth into a large cup measure, pressing vegetables to extract as much broth as possible.
• Discard vegetables.
• Add water to broth if needed, to make 6 cups.
• Chop giblets and neck meat.
• Refrigerate.
• Stage 2 THICKEN BROTH.
• Mash butter and flour with a fork until blended to a paste. Break into 4 chunks.
• Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in flour mixture, 1 chunk at a time, until blended.
• Whisk until thickened and boiling. Boil 3 minutes minutes longer to cook out any "floury" taste.
• Cover surface of gravy to keep skin from forming.
• Refrigerate.
• Stage 3 FINISH GRAVY.
• After turkey is removed from roasting pan: Spoon fat off pan drippings and discard.
• Stir juices in pan (add up to 2°C water if juices have evaporated), scraping up brown bits on bottom of pan.
• Add no more than 2 cups of drippings to gravy or it will be too thin.
• Stir in giblets and neck meat.
• Heat and season to taste.

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan, place giblets (except liver); add enough water to cover. Add celery, onion, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 1 to 2 hours or until giblets are tender. Add liver during last 15 minutes of cooking.
• Drain giblet mixture, reserving broth and giblets. Discard celery and onion.
• After removing turkey from roasting pan, remove 1/2 cup drippings (turkey juices and fat); reserve. Pour remaining drippings into 2-cup measuring cup; add enough giblet broth and chicken broth to measure 2 cups; set aside.
• Place reserved 1/2 cup drippings in roasting pan or 12-inch skillet. Stir in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping up brown bits in pan, until smooth and browned. Gradually stir in 2 cups broth mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove meat from neck; finely chop meat and giblets and add to gravy if desired. Stir in salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large, hot skillet; add vegetables, and sauté.
• Add flour, stirring constantly until smooth and combined.
• Add reserved broth, whisking constantly, until thickened.
• Proceed with recipe as directed.
• Bring giblets, neck, and 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until tender.
• Drain, reserving broth.
• Chop giblets and neck meat, and set aside.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add chopped vegetables, and sauté 5 minutes.
• Add flour, stirring until smooth.
• Add reserved broth; cook, stirring constantly, 10 minutes or until thickened.
• Reduce heat to low.
• Remove vegetables using a hand-held, wire-mesh strainer, and discard, leaving gravy in skillet.
• Whisk together egg yolks and half-and-half.
• Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot gravy into yolk mixture; add to remaining hot gravy.
• Add giblets and neck meat; cook, stirring constantly, 4 to 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°.
• Stir in salt, pepper, and seasoning.
• Serve immediately.
• Garnish, if desired.
• Makes 4 cups.