Help! make ahead gravy

[marajo]

I followed a recipe to make turkey gravy using turkey wings. We are taking dinner 'over the river and thru the woods'. I am not good at making gravy w/ a crowd chatting w/ me so I plan on taking 5 cups prepared. I'd have to cork the wine real real early w/ the stress of making gravy w/ no back up. So the 'gravy' I have is weak in flavor, real weak. Rescue me and the gravy, please.

 

[Shunka]

Can you get turkey base to add a touch to it? I use this brand http://superiortouch.com/btb.htm ; a store near you might have it although I have to order it from them online.

 

[Debbie]

Sometimes when my gravy is a little weak... I add a packet of turkey gravy mix.. ( mixed up in a bit of water first) .. but I always add some poultry seasoning, and some ground sage.. also you can add some chicken boulion to.. that should help a bit. In Ontario they also have this stuff called Bisto.. its kinda like gravy granules.. it adds flavor and thickens to. Anyways.. there is some hints on cheating making home made gravy

Good luck!

 

[marajo]

I wish there was a turkey gravy mix that did not have MSG. I will check out the link shunka gave me. thanks.

I just checked out the link from Shunka. I have that in chicken and beef. I had no idea they had turkey so will start the search. It is a wonderful product. Thank you.

 

[Katie H]

Before I make my gravy, I make a stock base out of turkey necks. Here's what I do.

2 lbs. turkey necks, cut into 3-in. sections
2 to 3 cups homemade rich chicken stock
3 Tbsp. canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


In a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil until it just begins to shimmer. Add turkey necks and season with salt and pepper. Cook necks in the oil until nicely browned on all sides. Remove from heat and add chicken stock. Cover tightly and put in preheated 350 degree oven and bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, turning necks occasionally. You may have to add a little water during cooking.

Remove from oven, leave lid on, and allow to cool to room temperature. When cool, remove neck segments, scrape down sides of pan and pour liquid into a measuring cup to add to gravy. You should have about 2 cups of very rich, bronze-colored turkey stock.

 

[marajo]

Are turkey necks available at the supermarket? I have never looked nor noticed.

 

[Shunka]

It all depends on your area if the necks are available. I cannot get them here unless I call a couple of weeks ahead of time. And even then it is very iffy. Katie E's recipe is the prime one!!!!

 

[Constance]

Next time, try browning your chicken wings in a little butter and olive oil before you add the liquid and let them simmer. That caramelization will give you a lot of extra flavor. If you use water for your liquid, be sure to use plenty of salt, and let simmer until reduced by half.

 

[marajo]

I baked the wings for an hr @ 400 degrees to get them brown first. What I think I did wrong was add too much water in the simmering stage. I have cooked it down to a more concentrated amount but still . . . I remember as a young bride I was convinced when I was an old woman (now 58) I would have gravy down!!!!

 

[BigDog]

If I do not have drippings from whatever was cooked for whatever reason, my quick out is stock/broth/bullion cube. If I use cubes, I usually use about 1.5 cubes per cup of water. One isn't enough flavor, and two is too much flavor. Since it is usually for me and the missus, 3 cubes with 2 cups of water works.

I then add (unsalted) butter/flour in equal proportions until I reach desired thickness. I don't season with anything else as Mrs. Big Dog is not a fan of spices or herbs (mentioned on numerous occassion on DC as well). If that wasn't the case, depending on what was actually used, I may add some salt, but for sure some fresh ground pepper. There is more then enough salt in bullion, and usually broth, but with stock and some broths it can stand a bit more. I'd likely try some herbs as well.

 

[Nicholas Mosher]

Large volumes of gravy require the preparation of a stock (as you attempted which is awesome, more than many are willing to do!).

Sounds like you used too much water. Here is what I do...

For two quarts of stock, you're going to want about 5lbs of necks/wings/legs. Since I make my stuffing with stock as well (along with turkey soup the next day), I generally make a gallon at a time, which requires 8-10lbs.

Here is my recipe for Brown Turkey Stock...

Brown Turkey Stock

Brown turkey stock is used for hearty poultry or vegetable based dishes. Stripped down, it's essential components (like all good stocks) are clean water (filtered if necessary, but not distilled), bones/joints, aromatics, herbs and spices. It's essential that high quality ingredients are used, as the flavors derived are subsequently reduced and condensed which will magnify any shortcuts taken. The mouth-feel of a good stock is created by collagen in the connective tissues breaking down into gelatin. Browning the bones and aromatics not only brings color, but makes use of the Maillard and Caramelization reactions to increase flavor complexity and depth. It's important that sufficient browning is reached, but care must be taken not to burn anything. Burnt items create a bitter flavor in the stock which is unpleasant and gets worse as the stock is reduced. Some flavors and aromatics are volatile, and care must be taken not to boil them away. Boiling is bad not just for flavor, but also decreases the clarity of the final product. Frequent skimming is also necessary to remove foam and scum which will reduce the stock's quality if left to break down and suspend itself. Stock should be started cold and cooked at a bare simmer. Cooking time begins once the stock reaches a bare simmer.

10-lbs Turkey Bones (or Wings/Drumsticks/Necks)
Canola Oil
4-qt + 2-C Water
1 Large Onion - Diced
2 Medium Carrots - Diced
2 Stalks Celery - Diced
6-oz Tomato Paste
2 Medium Cloves Garlic - Crushed
1-t Black Peppercorns
3 Sprigs Fresh Parsley
3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
2 Bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 425*F and heat a large heavy roasting pan filmed with canola Oil. Add the turkey bones and roast until evenly browned, turning as needed - roughly one hour. Remove the turkey to a large stock pot, and add the water to cover. De-glaze the roasting pan with some water, and add to the stock pot. Bring the turkey to a a bare simmer over medium heat and then reduce the temperature to maintain the bare simmer as necessary. If the water level falls below the level of the turkey, heat some water in a separate sauce pan and gently replenish some of the lost water. Do not completely replenish the lost water, as the stock eventually needs to reduce to 1-gal.

Three and a half hours into simmering, film a skillet with canola oil and add the mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery). Saute over medium-high heat until the onions are caramelized. Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir constantly until it turns a golden brown and smells sweet. De-glaze the pan with a few ladles of stock, and then add the mixture to the stock pot along with the remaining ingredients.

After the stock has simmered for five hours, carefully strain it with a chinois or cheesecloth and measure the final volume - the target is 1-gal (4-qts). If the volume is short, add enough water to reach 4-qts. If the volume is large, return the strained stock to a simmer, and reduce until 4-qts is achieved. Chill the stock, and then degrease once the fat has stratified and turned solid.

Then for the gravy use the following recipe for "White Sauce" (although it won't be light colored if made with a brown stock as prepared above)...

White Sauce

A traditional French sauce created by thickening a light-colored flavorful liquid with a blond roux. This family of sauces includes Veloute (white poultry/veal/fish stock thickened with roux) and Béchamel (milk thickened with roux). The sauce is usually simmered with aromatics and herbs to fortify it's flavor. It can either be prepared by itself, or incorporated into a recipe using the proper ratios of ingredients.

1-qt Stock or Milk
4-T Clarified Butter
2-oz Onion (Finely Diced)
2-oz Celery (Finely Diced)
4-T Flour
1 Large Garlic Clove (Crushed)
1 Fresh Sprig Thyme
1 Fresh Sprig Parsley
1 Bay Leaf
1-t Black Peppercorns
Kosher Salt - To Taste
Freshly Ground White Pepper - To Taste

Heat the clarified butter in a 3-qt saucier over medium heat. Add the onions and celery, and sweat until the onions are transparent and on the verge of taking on color. Add the flour, and stir constantly scraping the bottom until the raw scent of flour has given way to a slightly nutty aroma.

Slowly add the stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 30-45minutes or until the starchy feel of the flour has cooked away.

Strain the sauce through a chinois or rinsed cheesecloth. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper.

You can then use the stock to prepare a separate pan of "stuffing" (dressing) ahead of time, as well as turkey soup the next day, or turkey pot pie. For the pot pie, use the same gravy recipe but reduce it further until you reach the desired consistency.

Good luck!

 

[Katie H]

Are turkey necks available at the supermarket? I have never looked nor noticed.

Our area Wal-Mart usually starts stocking them in early October. I've never had a problem getting them. Maybe it has to do with where I live. It's very rural here with many farms. Not that the farms supply the turkey necks but, perhaps, the market is aware of what folks like to prepare here.