Catching the Gravy Boat
Ahhh – perfect gravy with no lumps, not too much salt, the right shade of tan, and not too thick or too watery. Sounds like heaven, doesn't it? While we don't typically serve up this rich sauce on an everyday basis, Thanksgiving is the one day of the year for total indulgence. Who doesn't want to ladle a dripping-based helping over a slice of turkey? What kid will not make a game out of cratering mashed potatoes for a fill-up?
The difficulties in making the best gravies – even for experienced cooks – lie in the fact that the process is an annual event and not a daily one. Trends have changed from the days when Mom or Grandmother served up homemade biscuits and gravy for breakfast, or it was a staple for the evening meal. (That's not to say that in the southern U.S., there remains a preponderance of gravied meals, including fried steak and chicken-fried-chicken.)
The advantages of any gravy are many. They can forgive the sins of a too-dry turkey and correct too much cumin in a dressing. In fact, you should prepare plenty of gravy; it's a fix-all for many Thanksgiving day errors.
Enjoy these gravy recipes
Traditional Turkey Gravy
Turkey Giblet Gravy
Anita's Holiday Turkey, Dressing and Gravy Preparation
Turkey cooked with Wine Cheesecloth and Tom's Gravy
Sage-Roasted Turkey with Caramelized Onions And Sage Gravy
Syds Turkey Gravy
Saras Turkey Gravy
Turkey with Golden Onion Gravy
Gravy tips for great flavor and for quick repairs:
- Lumps – whisk or strain them out
- Too greasy – allow to cool and skim the fat (if time allows)
- Too thick – add a little canned chicken broth (or broth from turkey)
- Too salty – add a small pinch of light brown sugar
- Homemade broth is much better than canned
- When adding liquids to a gravy, warm them first in the microwave
- Add a few veggies in the bottom of the turkey roaster for richer drippings