[Sca-cooks] TURKEY GRAVY

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Seton1355 at aol.com wrote:

> --
> [ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
> This is oop but I need to ask.
> I have to make a homemade turkey gravy for Thanksgiving.
> Anyways.........
> If I take the pan drippings and whisk in some Wondra flour, will that make
> gravy?
> Anybody got a good but simple recipe?
> Phillipa
> (who doesn't have time for T-day this year, but is having 9 guests anyway...)

Yes. Wondra flour will do that. Depending on various other factors, like
your pan size, oven temperature, etc., you may find yourself needing to
augment the drippings with chicken stock. Your end result will be a
somewhat thickened, poultry-flavored sauce which is what most people are
thinking of when they thiunk of turkey gravy.

Basically what you do is skim off as much of the fat as possible, then
whisk in your flour (note that this doesn't work nearly as well with
ordinary flour, but Wondra is specifically designed for this purpose).
As I recall, using Wondra makes for a fairly pale gravy, as it contains,
like any flour, impurities which, if you were doing the long-cooking
sauce method, would rise to the top and be skimmed off. If it's too
thin, and you're sure it's been heated enough for the Wondra to do its
thing, then you can add more. If too thick, add more stock.

Normally I don't go as far as Muiredach's method, but it certainly does
work. You may be swapping a shorter but more involved process, though,
for one which is longer but which leaves you with more actual free time.
  There will be a lot of variables.

     I usually just make a brown roux with a mixture of butter and
turkey fat (AP flour, not Wondra: I can't afford room in my kitchen for
anything which only has one purpose), skim and deglaze the drippings,
ideally with some wine first, then some additional stock (we are gravy
fans), then whisk in the roux, simmer a while, skim, strain and serve. I
usually add some sage to the gravy as it simmers, and there are usually
roasted vegetables in the pan with the turkey anyway, so aromatics are
more or less covered. I frequently add mushrooms, sliced and sauteed, or
  if I'm feeling expansive, cooked, trimmed and/or deboned, and chopped,
giblets.

Adamantius
--
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com

"It was so blatant that Roger threw at him.  Clemens gets away with
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let him get away with it, it's going  to continue." -- Joe Torre, 9/98