[Sca-cooks] TURKEY GRAVY

[Nicolas Steenhout]

>as hard as if you just dumped the dry stuff in, and you have no lumps.

Someone once told me that a gravy without lumps just wasn't gravy...  He
liked lumps (no, not *those* kind of lump, get yer mind outta there Misha :-} )

I actually don't know what Wondra flour is, don't necessarily feel I miss
not knowing either :-)

I attack my turkey/gravy somewhat differently than most, on the rare times
I do it.  It lacks the presentation factor, but saves on the grief factor
tremendously.

I actually bone the bird ahead of cooking.  Take breasts off, take legs
off.  Roast separatly.  You can cook the whole bird in less than an hour
that way.

If you bone the thing the day ahead, you can use the bones to make a brown
stock, then sauce/gravy from it.  Brown the bones in a bit of oil, till
they are nearly burned, but not quite.  Add water, onion, carrot, celery,
some tomato paste (but not too much).  Other aromatic elements, but NO
salt.  Bring to a boil, simmer for a few hours.  Strain.  Use this as your
sauce base.  you can reduce it, thicken it (corn starch or flour based
thickening, such as roux).  When your turkey is cooked, deglaze the pan
with some red wine, or some cognac (or brandy), and add that "juice" to the
gravy base.

A heck of a lot less worries.

But... As I said, you then cannot present a whole bird at the table.  OTOH,
you can do some really nice presentation of presliced breasts and legs on
the plate.  I'd consider this method if, as you say, you're without much time.

Muiredach mac Loloig
Rokkehealden Shire
aka
Nicolas Steenhout
"You must deal with me as I think of myself" J. Hockenberry