Two years ago, in a fit of amnesia, my beloved wife bought multiple jars of that horrid drek marketed by Heinz as "turkey gravy". The origin of that pale, pasty, floury horror is unknown to any sensible human, for such knowledge would drive one mad. I forgave her and was a bit amused. She gets so wound up in Thanksgiving preparations that she can forget an odd or end. Fortunately, as for every other year, I made the gravy from scratch. It's a combinationo of rugged and elegant and always is popular.
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| Turkey giblets* | from the bird |
| Turkey necks* | 1-2 |
| Yellow bell pepper | 1 |
| Onion | 1 large onion |
| Celery | 4 stalks |
| Garlic | 3-5 cloves, crushed, not with a garlic press |
| Butter | 2 Tablespoons |
| Herbs | 1-3 tablespoons (your preference) |
| Wine*** | 1 cup |
| Salt | to taste |
| Pepper | to taste |
| Garlic | 3-5 cloves, crushed, not with a garlic press |
| Flour | As needed (see below) |
| *If you are unlucky, your bird might not have giblets. In that case, about 1/4 pound of chicken livers will work. | |
| **No, turkeys don't come with two necks. You may need to buy some more. Freeze the extra | |
| ***I prever a robust, dry red, such as the Cabernet Franc from Hopwood Cellars | |
| Hardware | |
|---|---|
| Saucepan that is big enough | |
| Good knife | |
| Measuring cup, liquid | |
| Measuring spoons | |
| Gravy Boat | |
Roasting the Pepper
Pepper skin and seeds are indigestible and no fun to eat (unless you're a cockatoo). My favorite way to get rid of them is to roast and peel. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and the pepper on top of that. Roast/bake the pepper on its side for 20 minutes. Turn pepper over. Roast another 20 minutes. Take out of oven and put a glass bowl over the pepper. Let it sit 15 minutes. Take pepper to sink, it will be full of liquid. Slit it vertically and unroll it while pulling out the stem. The remaining seeds should be easy to remove. Turn pepper over and peel off skin. Dice pepper and set aside.
The Long Simmer
Coarsely chop onion and celery. Melt butter in saucepan. Add onions, celery, garlic, and herbs. Sautee lightly (2-3 minutes). Add pepper, turkey parts, and wine. Stir while bringing to boil. Add water to cover. Simmer 3-4 hours.
And now, Gravy
Take off heat, take out turkey parts and set aside to cool. Strain broth to remove pepper, onion, and celery chunks (or blend it smooth—your choice). Measure total broth amouint. Set aside some of the broth to cool. Bring remaining broth to a simmer. Taste it! Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Whisk 2 tablespoons flour into cooled portion of broth. Whisk slurry into broth and stir. Add chopped turkey parts to gravy, stir and simmer briefly. Transfer to gravy boat for pouring.
