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Fall Has Arrived in the South
Fall has finally made an appearance here in the south as the temperatures dipped into the low 50’s today. That can only mean one thing. That my favorite holiday is right around the corner.
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It is all about food and family, and giving thanks. Growing up it was the one meal that we always ate at out dining room table. Mom broke out the good plates to set up a nice table spread.
One of the best memories of my childhood was waking up to the smell of my Mom’s Cooking. Mom would start early in the morning and cook all day. Once I began to host my own Thanksgiving’s I did the same. By the time dinner was over I was so exhausted, I wanted to sleep.
Make ahead recipes allow you to take some of the stress away for the big day. I found that making the Turkey gravy ahead of time was a huge time saver. It also allowed me to spend more time and attention to getting a wonderful flavor into my gravy.
You can make this flavorful gravy up to a week ahead of time. I always seemed to rush the gravy when I tried to make it the same day. This always resulted in a gravy that didn’t showcase the work and love I had put into the meal.
I preheated the oven to 375 degrees and prep the vegetables. Rough chop 4 ribs of celery, 3 carrots, 1 onion and smash 2 cloves of garlic. Place the vegetables into a roasting pan. Put the turkey wings on top of the vegetables and place into the oven to roast for 2 hours.
Remove the turkey wings and vegetables from the roasting pan and into a dutch oven. Place the roasting pan onto the stove top over medium heat. Add 4 cups of water to the pan, using a whisk scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the roasting pan.
Once the water comes to a boil add it to the dutch oven and add the remaining 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat cover and simmer for another hour.
I used a spider to remove the turkey wings and vegetables from the dutch oven. Let the stock cool to room temperature before placing into containers. Place into the refrigerator for at least two hours or overnight.
the next day remove the fat from the top of the containers with a spoon. While still cold put the stock though a mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth. Whats left is 4 cups of turkey stock. Place into a pot over medium heat.
In a dutch oven melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, add 1/4 cup of all purpose flour while whisking. Allow the roux to cook until it is golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the warm stock a little at a time, whisking to avoid lumps.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer until the gravy thickens to the point that it will coat the back of a spoon. About 10 minutes. Allow to cool and place into containers to store until Turkey Day.
Easy Make Ahead Turkey Gravy
This easy make ahead turkey gravy will add a depth of flavor to you Thanksgiving Day Turkey and enhance the creaminess of the mashed potatoes. By doing it ahead of time you can take the time to build the intense flavor and take one more thing off of your to do list for Turkey Day.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings 3 Cups
Ingredients
- 4 Lbs. Turkey Wings
- 4 Ribs Celery (Chopped)
- 1 Onion Roughly chopped
- 3 Medium Carrots (Chopped)
- 2 Cloves Garlic (Smashed)
- 8 Cups Water (Divided)
- 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 Cup Whole Milk
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees
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Rough chop the celery, carrots and onions. Smash the garlic cloves and place them all into a roasting pan.
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Place the turkey wings on top of the vegetables and place into the oven to roast for 2 hours.
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Remove the turkey wings and the vegetables from the roasting pan and place into a dutch oven on the stove top. Place 4 cups of water on top of the wings and heat over medium heat.
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Place the roasting pan onto the stove top over medium heat and add the remaining 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and using a whisk scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the roasting pan.
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Empty the water and any of the browned bits from the roasting pan into the dutch oven with the wings and vegetables.
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Bring the whole thing to a boil and then reduce to a simmer cover and allow to simmer on the stove top for at least an hour.
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I use a spider to scoop the turkey wings and vegetables from the broth, but you can easily pour it though a strainer. Place into containers and place into the refrigerator overnight.
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Remove the stock from the refrigerator and skim the fat from the top with a spoon. Then strain the stock though a wire mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth.
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What's left is 4 cups of flavorful turkey stock. Place into a medium sized pot and bring to a simmer.
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in a medium dutch oven melt 4 tablespoon of unsalted butter, add in the flour, whisking constantly. Let it cook for about 10 minutes on low heat until the roux starts to turn brown.
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Add in the warmed stock slowly, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil whisky every few minutes so that it won't burn. Reduce to a simmer and cook until it begins to thicken up. About 10 minutes or until it coast the back of a spoon.
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Serve warm immediately, or place it into the refrigerator for up to a week and reheat when ready to use.
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