Perfect Make-ahead Turkey Gravy

 Have you been blogging too long when you start to duplicate your posts? Or, is that just a sign that what you're posting about is really, really good. I prefer to believe the latter. My "faithful readers" may have noticed that my posts at the beginning of this month were sporadic. That was because my significant other's daughter was married at the beginning of the month. Following that joyous occasion, I headed to my refuge on Longboat Key, Florida for a little R & R, which, unfortunately, never happened. Instead I sat in my recliner staring longingly at the beautiful Gulf of Mexico while I fought a terrible cold and sore throat. On a positive note, I got lots of stitching on my latest crazy quilting project done. When I got home, I realized with a start that Thanksgiving was almost upon us.

About 10 years ago I began a system to stay ahead of holiday madness. It's very simple really. I maintain a file folder for major holidays and occasions (e.g. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, summer BBQ's, birthdays, etc.). In each folder are tried-and-true recipes, shopping lists, countdown schedules, and other aids to making planning and execution less stressful. One of my appetizers, for example, is already made and frozen, ready to be popped under the broiler on Turkey Day. My shopping is about 90% complete and today I made my perfect make-ahead gravy.

When I came here to post about it, something made me look in my index and sure enough, there is was! I thought, however, that the photos I snapped today were better looking, and so I used them and will just give you a link to the recipe HERE.

The advantages to making your turkey gravy ahead of time are two-fold. First, it is far less stressful than trying to manage carving the turkey, getting all the side dishes to the table, as you stand and tend the gravy, which does take your full attention. Second, the turkey parts you use in this recipe can be used for salads, soups, sandwiches, or casseroles, a nice bonus.

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving with family and friends!

PERFECT MAKE-AHEAD TURKEY GRAVY

If there's one thing you don't need, it's to leave too many dishes to the last minute on Thanksgiving. For nearly a dozen years now, I've taken a very organized approach to the holiday, starting my cooking a few days in advance. Making gravy at the last minute not only takes up your entire stove, but it interferes with the flow of side dishes going in and out of the ovens according to schedule. What really makes it difficult, though, is my ceramic topped stove with the vent in the middle that does not accommodate my large roasting pan as well as it could.  After making this classic gravy a few days in advance way back when, I've never gone back to that last minute, frantic whisking. I can't tell you where I got the recipe (I don't remember), but the end result is delicious. You can make it 2 or 3 days ahead and you can even freeze it for up to 6 months.

Makes 6 cups; NI per 1/3 cup is 73 cal, 6 g fat, 4 g carb, 33 mg sodium, 3 g protein

2 T olive oil

6 lb turkey wings or legs or thighs or any combination

5 ribs celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 head garlic, halved
12 cups chicken broth
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 T apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Saute turkey wings, celery, onion, and garlic in a roasting pan on top of the stove over medium high heat until they begin to brown; turn and brown on other side.

Transfer to oven and roast 45 minutes. Turn the wings over and roast an additional 45 minutes.

Add broth to the pan and cook in the oven for 1 hour more, until reduced to about 8 cups. Strain the stock and set aside. (I remove the meat from the wings and freeze to use at a later time in soup.)

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes, whisking constantly.

Gradually add the strained stock, whisking until smooth. Bring to a boil and boil, stirring, for 2 minutes to thicken. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes more. Finish with the vinegar, salt, and pepper.

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TASTE NOTES

I love this turkey gravy. It is just thick enough, not that awful viscous stuff in a can. The vinegar, though not strong, seems to brighten the taste of the finished gravy. I am not a gravy person, but this on my mashed potatoes equals heaven.