Gravy
Author: Alex Recker
A French veloute sauce repurposed into a classic Thanksgiving gravy. This recipe makes a half gallon - plenty for 10-20 people. You can use any kind of stock, but for best results use your finest turkey stock or turkey jous
Materials
- all purpose flour (3 oz weight)
- turkey fat + butter, mixed (3 oz weight)1
- turkey stock or turkey jous (2 quarts)
- salt
- pepper (use white pepper if you don't want black specks in the final sauce)
Procedure
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Dump out the flour evenly on to a small baking sheet on a piece of parchment paper. Place the flour underneath the broiler on HIGH for at least 5 minutes or until the flour turns lightly brown (don't walk away from it, it's really easy to burn). Take the flour out of the oven and set aside.
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Dump all the butter + turkey fat into a small sauce pan on high heat. When the butter begins to chant, turn the head down to medium and add all the flour.
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Whisk the flour and fat together as the mixture gently heats. Keep the mixture moving constantly, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a constant bubbling. Remember to whisk the corners of the pan to keep the roux from burning.
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After five minutes or when the roux smells like a freshly baked cake, take the pan off the heat and allow to completely cool.
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Warm up the stock in the microwave or in another sauce pan. Place the roux back on medium heat and add a cup of stuck. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
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Continue to add stock as you whisk and heat the gravy. When all the stock is added, let the gravy come to a simmer.
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Adjust the thickness to your preference. To thin it out, add water or stock. To thicken it, whisk in wondra or a Beurre ManiƩ (best to do this with a portion of the stock scooped into a separate bowl so you don't risk introducing clumps to the whole thing).
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Add salt and pepper to taste. If you plan on adding turkey drippings, it's best to leave it slightly under-salted.
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For best results, allow the gravy to cool and place in the fridge overnight. On the big day, warm up the gravy on the stove. Add a handful of freshly chopped herbs and serve.
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The ratio of turkey fat to butter is a personal preference. You can also use all butter if you don't want to bother with it. ↩