Turkey Gravy

Our journey begins not with a thickener, but with foundation. We take the turkey bones—from the deboned legs and roast them to dark brown. We do likewise with the mirepoix. This charred, fragrant foundation is then transferred to a heavy stockpot, where it is slowly submerged in a rich, homemade poultry stock. A bouquet of hardy herbs—thyme, rosemary, and a bay leaf—is added, along with a handful of black peppercorns. We bring it to the barest whisper of a simmer, allowing the pot to gently murmur for hours. The patient cooking encourages the marrow and collagen from the bones to dissolve, resulting in a liquid that is already substantial and deeply flavorful. Once the stock is perfumed and fortified, it is passed through a fine chinois. The gravy is then chilled one night to rest. Then the fat is scrapped out from the surface. We then return this pristine stock to the heat for a reduction. This rendered, intensely savory juice forms the base to which we add our final gravy, along with a secret weapon: a touch of red fruit.

The Art of Brown Turkey Gravy

Course: sauces

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: roulade, thanksgiving, turkey

Difficulty: easy

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 2

Make a day ahead: 0

Total Time: 2 20

Servings: grams

Calories: 40kcal

Cost: $8

Our journey begins not with a thickener, but with foundation…

Equipment

1 Stockpot
1 Roasting pan
1 Small saucepan
1 Large saucepan
1 Baking tray
1 chinois
1 Small whisk
1 Rubber spatula
1 Bowl
1 Ladle
1 Small whisk
1 Cleaver

Ingredients

Roasting Bones

1 kg Turkey bones from the legs
20 g Duck fat
30 g Tomato paste

Roasting Mirepoix

300 g Onions unpeeled and quartered
200 g Carrots scrubbed and chopped
30 g Garlic cloves Crushed
100 g Celery stalk chopped
4 g Porcini powder Recipe
100 g Water

Turkey Stock

1.6 kg Roasted bones and mirepoix
2.5 L/qt Chicken stock Recipe
100 g Ruby port
2 g Black peppercorns
1 each Orange peel
2 g Star anise
5 g Fresh rosemary
10 g Fresh thyme
2 each Bay leave

Gravy

600 g Reduced turkey stock
200 g Rendered jus from the cooked turkey roulade use all the rendered jus
80 g Blackcurrant puree or cranberry optional
25 g Ruby port or stock or water for the slurry
15 g Corn starch for the slurry
30 g Cold butter to luster the finished sauce

Instructions

Sauce vs Gravy

The key difference is that "sauce" is a general term for a wide range of liquid seasonings, whereas "gravy" refers specifically to a sauce made from the drippings of cooked meat; called jus in French. But when the meat doesn't yield enough jus (drippings) for a proper sauce, a foundation based on a robust stock makes a significant difference. The advantage is that this foundation can be prepared in advance and finished just before serving.

Roasting Bones

Preheat your fan oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Spread the turkey bones in the greased roasting pan (bones can be broken before or after roasting them). Roast for 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Coat the bones with the tomato paste and return to the oven. Roast for another 15 minutes, or until the bones are deep brown and the tomato paste has darkened. Transfer the roasted bones to your stockpot.

Roasting Mirepoix

In the now-empty roasting pan, add the prepared mirepoix with the porcini powder onto the still-hot roasting pan. Stir it and scrape bits. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are lightly caramelized.

Turkey Stock

After roasting, deglaze with the water to loosen any remaining fond. Transfer the vegetables into the stockpot.
Add the chicken stock, herbs, zest, ruby port, and spices to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
Cook for at least 2 hours, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface.
Pass the liquid through a chinois into a clean saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids. Bring the strained liquid to a simmer and reduce it by half. Cool the reduced stock in an ice bath before refrigerating it overnight.
Once thoroughly chilled, the fat will have solidified on the surface, making it easy to scrape off and discard with a spoon. At this juncture, the reduced turkey stock (sauce base) can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Gravy

Bring the sauce base to a gentle boil, add fruit puree to taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the sauce to a smaller saucepan for a better handling.
Save and sieve the rendered jus and drippings from the roasted turkey roulade over the reduced sauce.
Or, use all the cooking liquid from the cooked sous-vide turkey roulade.
Make the slurry (liquid + starch), and whisk it into the boiling gravy gradually until the desired consistency is reached. Let the gravy simmer gently until you're ready to serve. It will continue to reduce slowly.
Just before serving, take it off the heat and swirl in cold butter until melted and incorporated. Keep the gravy hot, but do not let it boil. Enjoy!