Thanksgiving is unimaginable without gravy. For some, gravy is in the pantheon of recipes shrouded in mystery, seemingly unattainable to mere mortals. But that’s a myth.
Gravy is the most basic of sauces with three ingredients (plus salt and pepper): fat, often the meat drippings; starch, such as flour or cornstarch; and stock.
We assume gravy is an artery-clogging fat bomb, but it doesn’t have to be. You can have gravy that is good and good for you, too. The secret? Make it ahead of Thanksgiving.
My pro tip is to make the gravy up to 5 days in advance and add the flavorful pan drippings and cooking juices when reheating, which allows for better control over the fat content. It also lightens up the workload on Thanksgiving Day since you won’t have to worry about the timing of cooking and resting the turkey, or managing a roasting pan on a crowded stovetop.
Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy
Flour-based gravy starts with a roux, a combination of fat and flour used as a thickening agent. When making it ahead, use oil or butter instead of rendered fat. Simmer a turkey neck or wings in the chicken stock or make homemade turkey stock to achieve a more robust turkey flavor. (You can purchase these separately or use the neck from inside your bird.)
Once the turkey is finished cooking, transfer the bird to a cutting board and cover it loosely with aluminum foil to rest. Pour the juices from the roasting pan into a fat separator. The fat will rise to the top and the juices and drippings will stay at the bottom. If you do not have a fat separator, pour the juices into a liquid measuring cup and remove the fat with a metal spoon.
If your turkey recipe does not produce 1 cup of defatted cooking juices, simply add what you have into the pre-made gravy and simmer to the proper consistency.
- 4 tablespoons pure olive oil or unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour or chickpea flour
- 1 quart reduced-fat low-sodium chicken stock or homemade turkey stock, warmed
- 1 cup homemade roast turkey cooking juices and drippings, fat removed
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until fully incorporated. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is light brown, about 3 minutes.
Slowly whisk in the stock, whisking vigorously to combine and avoid lumps. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to simmer and cook until the gravy has thickened, about 10 minutes. (If the gravy has lumps, it’s possible the stock was not warmed sufficiently. To remove the lumps, you can strain with a sieve or puree using an immersion blender or transfer the gravy to a blender.)
Let cool and store gravy in a sealable container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When ready to finish the gravy, place it in a pot over medium heat on the stove and cook, stirring occasionally, until simmering.
Add the defatted cooking juices to the simmering gravy. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. To test, dip a metal spoon into the gravy and run your finger across it. If the gravy holds the trail of your finger, it’s thickened enough. If the gravy is loose, it needs more cooking. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 cups.
Per 1/2 cup serving: 122 calories (percent of calories from fat, 76), 3 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, trace total sugars, trace fiber, 11 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), 3 milligrams cholesterol, 158 milligrams sodium.
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