ROAST-TURKEY GRAVY
Servings: 12 (makes 5 cups)
This rich gravy is mostly done in advance, which makes it potluck-friendly. The secret to its depth of flavor is a very dark roux. Madeira adds complexity.
The gravy can be made a day in advance; reheat over medium-low heat, with fresh roast turkey drippings stirred in just before serving.
2 to 3 pounds raw turkey necks and/or wings (not smoked)
6 cups homemade chicken broth (see headnote) 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 small red onion, minced
6 tablespoons Madeira
8 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more as needed 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
1 cup strained, defatted turkey drippings (may substitute 1 more cup of broth)
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Place the turkey necks and/or wings on a baking sheet; roast for about 1 hour or until dark brown.
Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the roasted turkey parts, then reduce the heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 2 hours. Strain, discarding the solids. The yield is 4 cups.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook for about 6 minutes or until it softens. Increase the heat to medium-high; add 2 tablespoons of the Madeira and cook for about 2 minutes or until it has evaporated. Transfer the onion to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium; add the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter. Once that has melted, stir in the flour. Cook for about 30 minutes to develop a very dark brown roux with perhaps a few black flecks, stirring occasionally.
Quickly whisk in 1 cup of the broth; as soon as that is incorporated, whisk in the remaining 3 cups of broth. Return the onion to the pan, whisking to incorporate. Increase the heat to medium-high, whisking to form a thickened gravy. Add the teaspoon each of salt and pepper and the remaining 4 tablespoons of Madeira, whisking until smooth. Remove from the heat.
At this point, the gravy base can be refrigerated.
Just before serving, reheat over medium heat, stirring a few times to keep the gravy from scorching. Whisk in the cup of drippings. Taste, and add salt and/or pepper, as needed. Serve warm.
Nutrition | Per serving: 110 calories, 2 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 490 mg sodium, 0 g dietary fiber, 0 g sugar
SOURCE: Based on a recipe from chef Ian Boden of the Shack in Staunton, Virginia, by Jim Webster, who is co-author with chef Mario Batali of “Big American Cookbook: 250 Favorite Recipes From Across the USA.”