Juices from your cooked turkey or turkey breast(2 to 3 cups)
Instructions
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until the mixture is combined; it will still be clumpy and thick. Continue to whisk frequently until it turns golden brown and the flour and butter mixture smells a bit toasty.
Slowly pour in the warm stock, whisking all the while, until all of the stock is added. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce the heat and simmer the gravy, whisking often, for 10 minutes until the gravy is thick and smooth. It will be thick — more liquid (turkey juices, wine, and water) will be added when you finish it right before the meal.
Place a piece of parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the gravy base, cover the pot with a lid, and allow it to cool to room temperature. Put it in the refrigerator.
On Thanksgiving (or Christmas or any other time you are making a turkey!), take the gravy base from the fridge once the bird is out of the oven. Remove the parchment, wax paper, or plastic wrap from the top of the gravy. It will be very thick from being chilled and will thin and smooth out when heated.
Remove the bird and the roasting rack (if using) from the roasting pan, tipping the bird so that any juices that have collected in the turkey pour out into the pan. Pour all of the juices from the pan into a fat separator or a liquid measuring cup. Let the fat rise to the top.
Place the saucepan with the gravy base over medium-low heat and heat until hot, stirring occasionally.
If using a fat separator, pour the juices into the pot with the gravy base, then discard the fat. If using a measuring cup, spoon the fat from the top and discard, reserving the juices, then add those to the pot. Add the wine, if using. Stir to combine, taste, and adjust seasonings as needed. If, for some reason, your gravy feels too thick and you are out of pan juices, you can add some water to thin it out slightly, but that shouldn’t be the case.
Transfer to a gravy boat or small pitcher and place right between the turkey and the mashed potatoes!
Notes
Roasting Bones Before Making the StockHopefully, your turkey comes with the neck bone tucked inside, which you can roast ahead of time and use to deepen the flavor of your stock and, therefore, your gravy. If by chance you have spatchcocked your turkey, you will also have the backbone to roast.Simply put them in the oven at whatever temp you are cooking something else, and roast until dark brown. At 400 F, they should be done in about 35 to 45 minutes. No exact science here; you are looking for browned and somewhat crispy. So if your casserole is cooking at 350 F, just add another 5 to 10 minutes of cooking time.Then, to enrich store-bought stock, simmer the neck and any other bones available in the stock for about 30 to 40 minutes. Strain the stock into a liquid measuring cup and discard the bones.