Valeries Gravy For Fried Turkey Recipes

EASY TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Pour off all but about 4 tablespoons of the turkey drippings from the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan with the reserved drippings on the stove over one or two burners (depending on the size of your pan) set to MEDIUM. Remove and discard any large deposits of fat or skin from the bottom of the pan.
• Add the butter and once it has melted, sprinkle in the flour. Use a whisk to mix in the flour to make a roux. Whisk and cook the roux until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pour in the dry sherry, using the whisk to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the roasting pan. Slowly pour in 3 cups of broth. Cook, whisking, until thickened. Add as much of the additional broth as needed to thin to the desired consistency.
• If you would like a deeper color to the gravy, whisk in a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet. Whisk it in, a drop at a time, until you reach the desired color.
• Taste and season with freshly ground pepper and a touch of salt, if needed.

VALERIE'S GO-TO GRAVY

Steps:

• Add the turkey stock and thyme to a saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer.
• Add the butter to a straight-sided saute pan and let melt. Add the flour and cook over medium-high to high heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture is light brown in color, 5 to 10 minutes (for a dark gravy, cook the flour to a deeper brown color). Add 2 cups of the warm stock, whisking constantly, and cook until the gravy thickens and bubbles. Add more warm stock if a thinner consistency is desired. Reduce the heat to low and add salt and pepper to taste (this will depend on how salty the stock is). Add a squeeze of lemon juice and taste again for seasoning. Keep warm until ready to serve, adding more warm stock as needed.
• Pour into a gravy boat and serve.

CHEF JOHN'S ROAST TURKEY AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix 2 tablespoons salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper, and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. Tuck turkey wings under the bird, and season cavity with about 1 tablespoon of the poultry seasoning mixture. Reserve remaining poultry seasoning mix.
• Toss the onion, celery, and carrots together in a bowl. Stuff about 1/2 cup of the vegetable mixture, rosemary sprigs, and 1/2 bunch sage into the cavity of the turkey. Tie legs together with kitchen string. Loosen the skin on top of the turkey breast using fingers or a small spatula. Place about 2 tablespoons butter under the skin and spread evenly. Spread the remaining butter (about 2 tablespoons) all over the outside of the skin. Sprinkle the outside of the turkey with the remaining poultry seasoning mix.
• Spread the remaining onion, celery, and carrots into a large roasting pan. Place the turkey on top of the vegetables. Fill the pan with about 1/2 inch of water. Arrange a sheet of aluminum foil over the breast of the turkey.
• Roast the turkey in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 3 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Remove the foil during the last hour of cooking. Baste the turkey with the pan juices.
• While the turkey is roasting, make stock: place neck, heart, and gizzards in a saucepan with the bay leaf and water. Simmer over medium heat for 2 hours. Strain the turkey giblets from the stock, and discard giblets. There should be at least 4 cups of stock.
• Remove the turkey from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Pour the pan juices, about 3 cups, into a saucepan and set aside. Skim off the turkey fat from the pan juices, reserving about 2 tablespoons.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the turkey fat and 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Transfer the onion from the roasting pan into the skillet. Cook and stir until the onion is browned, about 5 minutes, then stir in the flour. Continue to cook and stir for about 5 minutes more; whisk in 4 cups of the skimmed turkey stock and the reserved pan juices until smooth; skim off any foam. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. Simmer until the gravy is thickened, whisking constantly, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of chopped sage, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.