The Best Turkey Gravy Ever Recipe
Roasted turkey wings covered in broth, wine and surrounded by onions carrots, celery and herbs. This is your turkey gravy base.
Wanna make good turkey gravy? Well who doesn't? To start with, you need good turkey stock. It don't come in a box or a jar, and it ain't from chicken. For good turkey stock you need turkey wings. Order them from your butcher, or use thighs/legs from your grocery store. Parts of turkey! Roast them in olive oil and spices -- rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper, etc. until they are brown. Season them generously and flip halfway. I am gonna say 350 degrees for and hour or so on each side for a total of two hours or more. Don't rush it. Gotta get the bottom of the baking pan brown! It takes time to get them browny and delicious! Eat two for lunch and then cover the rest in chicken or turkey stock (purchased) with white wine, carrot, onion, celery and more herbs (parsley, etc.). More salt and pepper. Simmer for an hour or two until your house smells fantastic. Once it cools, strain the broth off, use the rest of the turkey meat for your stuffing, soup, turkey salad or other any other turkey dish, really. 6 - 8 turkey wings should give you 8 cups of fantastic turkey stock that is dark and rich, nothing like you get in the box! Please do this days before Thanksgiving, add a roux to thicken it and just add the deglazed turkey pan drippings on Thanksgiving day. Best gravy ever, and a huge time saver! Do it on Tuesday. It takes 10 minutes to prep them, two hours and change to roast them, an hour or two to simmer them (no rush), and 10 minutes to strain them. Or less. You can do it while you are watching the Celtics or Bruins. I strongly suggest adding the thickener on Tuesday so come Thanksgiving Thursday you just deglaze the roasting pan, strain the fat off and add the lovely pan drippings into your pre-prepared gravy base and get it all dark and lovely and fantastic! Time saving tip worth the effort.
Roasted turkey wings, all ready for a wine, stock and vegetable bath before they give up all their goodness to your gravy base. Be sure to eat one or two before braising, and eat the rest after!