Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

By Foodiewife

Gravy is one of the easiest things to make, you just have to follow a few basic rules. This
gravy recipe will make your Thanksgiving meal prepping go over a lot smoother!

Ingredients

• 4 turkey wings
• 4 ribs celery, (use leaves too)
• 1 onion, cut into chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 8 cups water
• 10 peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups turkey stock, strained with fat skimmed
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or a splash of white wine
• Kosher salt to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
• Fresh cracked pepper, optional

Details

Servings 3
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 190mins
Adapted from foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Using a large roasting pan*, place the turkey wings in the pan. Add the celery, onion and garlic. Note: You don’t have to bother peeling the onion, nor garlic.

Roast at 375°F for about 2 hours. *you can use a Dutch oven, if you prefer

To the roasted turkey wings, and add 8 cups of water. Add the bay leaves. To add the peppercorns, if you have a mesh tea ball, that’s perfect. Otherwise, place them in a small piece of cheesecloth, tied with kitchen twine for easy removal. Set the roasting rack directly on the stove. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about an hour.

Carefully remove the turkey wings and vegetables. (My husband removes the meat for our pets.) Carefully pour the stock through a mesh strainer into a heat-proof large measuring bowl. You should have about 8 cups of turkey stock. Ideally, refrigerate it overnight—or for at least a few hours.

GRAVY:

Defat the stock, by skimming it with a large spoon.

Be sure to have the flour, milk, cider vinegar (or white wine), salt and pepper ready to go. You want to use a whisk.

I prefer a non-stick deep skillet or large pot. Melt the unsalted on medium-high heat until melted and bubbly.

While whisking, add the flour evenly and whisk briskly. The flour should incorporate into the butter, and allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes, too cook out the flour taste.

Slowly add up to 2 cups of turkey stock (reserve at least 1/2 cup of stock in case you turn your gravy into concrete), in half-cup increments, whisking all the while. The liquid should be quite thick. Add the whole milk, then the apple cider vinegar, or white wine, (this really brightens the flavor of the gravy).

Season with kosher salt, in 1/4 teaspoon increments. Taste each time, until seasoned to your liking. Too much salt is disastrous, so just go slow and easy. I prefer to add fresh cracked black pepper, but this is optional.

Once you roast your holiday turkey, you can add more defatted turkey drippings to give the gravy an even darker color, and for more flavor.

You can freeze the gravy, or keep it refrigerated for 2 to 3 days. Just reheat when you are ready to serve.