Altons T Day Gravy Recipes

BEST GRAVY EVER

Steps:

• Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and set aside to rest. Leave the drippings from the turkey in the pan and place the roasting pan over medium heat. Add the broth and wine at the same time. Whisk to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan until all of the bits have come loose. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes in order to reduce the mixture slightly. Transfer the liquid to a fat separator and let sit for 5 minutes to allow fat to separate. Return 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the fat to the roasting pan and place over medium-high heat. Discard any remaining fat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture starts to thicken and become smooth, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Once this happens, gradually add the liquid back to the pan and whisk until smooth and you have reached your desired consistency, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Remember, your gravy should be slightly thin in the pan as it will thicken once you serve it. Add the herbs and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
• 2 to 3 days before roasting:
• Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.
• Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.
• Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:
• Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.
• Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.
• Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 151 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

ALTON'S T-DAY GRAVY

Steps:

• For stock and schmaltz manié:
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss wings and oil in large bowl to coat; transfer to large roasting pan. Roast 45 minutes. Turn wings over; roast until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes. Add 1 cup water to pan and continue roasting wings 10 minutes longer.
• Transfer wings with liquid to large pot, scraping in any browned bits from roasting pan. Add remaining 10 cups water, onion, celery, carrot, and herbs to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until reduced to 5 cups stock, about 3 1/2 hours. Strain through sieve set over large glass bowl. Press on solids in sieve to release as much stock as possible. Cool 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight. (Stock can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Transfer fat "cap" from surface of chilled stock to small bowl. Dry fat with paper towels. Using hands, break fat into pieces. Measure 5 tablespoons fat and transfer to another bowl; add flour and stir to form smooth paste. Refrigerate schmaltz manié until cold. Roll into 1/2-inch balls. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover schmaltz manié and stock separately and refrigerate.)
• For gravy:
• Pour pan juices from turkey roasting pan into fat separator or large measuring cup; spoon off fat if using measuring cup. Place roasting pan over 2 burners. Add wine and boil 1 minute, scraping up browned bits. Pour wine with bits into heavy large saucepan. Pourin pan juices from fat separator, leaving fat behind, or add degreased pan juices from measuring cup. Add herbs and stock to same saucepan. Bring to boil. Whisk in schmaltz manié balls 1 at a time (or paste by teaspoonfuls), cooking gravy briefly after each few additions to judge consistency and boiling gravy until reduced to 4 cups and thick enough to coat spoon, whisking often, about 6 minutes. Season gravy to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serve gravy with turkey.

TURKEY GIBLET GRAVY

Steps:

• For the giblet stock: Heat the oil in a 6 1/2-quart stockpot over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the neck and backbone and saute 5 to 6 minutes or until browned. Add the giblets, onion, carrot, celery and kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour in the water and add the thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and black peppercorns.
• Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the stock reduces to 3 cups.
• Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer and cool slightly. Discard all solids but the giblets. Chop the giblets and set aside.
• For the giblet gravy: Place 2 cups of the giblet stock in a 4-quart saucier over medium heat.
• Combine 1/2 cup of cool stock with the all-purpose flour in a jar with a tightly fitted lid. Shake vigorously until starch dissolves and no lumps remain.
• Gradually add the flour slurry to stock, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until thickened slightly.
• Combine the remaining 1/2 cup of cool stock with the potato starch in the lidded jar and shake vigorously until the starch dissolves and no lumps remain.
• Turn off the heat, remove the saucier from the burner and whisk until the liquid temperature decreases to 190 degrees F. Return to low heat and whisk in the potato starch slurry, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes to heat through and thicken, then season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Add the chopped giblets and stir to combine. Keep warm in a thermos until ready to serve.