http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/di...ravy.html?_r=1


November 19, 2008

Flavorful Gravy Makes Thanksgiving

By JULIA MOSKIN

"At Martha's Place in Montgomery, Ala., Thanksgiving comes every Wednesday,
week in, week out. The owner, Martha Hawkins, bones and roasts four turkeys,
makes gallons of stock from the bones, and enriches her gravy with
chopped-up giblets and meat from the neck.

"People must understand, that is a labor of love," she said about boning
turkeys and tending stockpots. "Flour, salt, pepper, love; those are the
ingredients you need for gravy."

Michelle Ades, food director at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Conn.,
will produce gravy for 350 people for the school's annual pre-Thanksgiving
banquet tomorrow.

"Eight gallons should do it," she said. Although she could buy shortcuts
like gravy base or turkey broth concentrate, she has made the stock ahead of
time and will combine it with a roux and the pan drippings once the turkeys
come out of the oven.

"I think you have to make the real thing," she said. "Gravy's really
critical, it has to be flavorful and rich to enhance everything. Gravy is
like the salt of the Thanksgiving table."

For less experienced cooks, the recipe for gravy often includes anxiety. The
very first step - making stock from the neck and organs that come stuffed
inside the turkey - can be unbalancing. "I can cook 30 different pasta
dishes, but I have never seen those things before," said Chelsea Behrens, a
"semi-vegetarian" in San Rafael, Calif., who made her first Thanksgiving
dinner last year. "Which one was the heart, which one was the gizzard - how
am I supposed to know?" Ms. Behrens threw away the innards and used canned
chicken broth instead.

Gravy anxiety can gnaw away at any cook's Thanksgiving. Many fear not having
enough drippings to work with, finding just a crusty slick in the roasting
pan rather than the hoped-for sloshy panful. Others dread the moment the
turkey leaves the roasting pan and full-blown gravy panic sets in: Where's
the flour? Thyme or rosemary? Too much salt? Others must defend against the
relative who takes off her coat and takes over the gravy on arrival.

"My sister-in-law used to grab the spoon right out of my hand," said Susan
Leahy, a cook in Manchester, N.H. "She was from Wisconsin and she wanted her
milk gravy."

Thanksgiving tensions can't be dissolved with a single recipe. But make
plenty of gravy, make it well, and it will lift up everything else on the
table.

Even better, make it in advance. By roasting a few turkey parts to produce
those crucial pan drippings and quarts of brown, savory stock before
Thanksgiving Day, the cook can get a significant head start.

The stock can be made weeks ahead; so can the gravy itself. The golden
turkey fat from the roasting pan is reserved and forms the base for a rich
roux. The finished gravy freezes beautifully and only needs to be whisked in
a hot pan and tasted for salt and pepper before serving.

On Thanksgiving, the roasting pan can still be put to use: pour off extra
fat and sauté some mushrooms or shallots in the pan; deglaze with milk,
water or wine; add simmered giblets or neck meat; or simply skim the pan
juices. Taste the results and stir into some, or all, of the premade gravy.
(Serving two different gravies is the height of Thanksgiving luxury).

The basic recipe given here produces not only a reassuring quantity of
gravy, but also extra homemade stock to use throughout the holidays. (Turkey
stock is interchangeable with chicken in many soup and stew recipes.) A
stash of stock clamps down on last-minute temptations to add flavor with
canned broth or bouillon cubes - not a good option for gravy, which is
essentially thickened broth: the flavor really matters.

And with gravy in your back pocket, so to speak, all that last-minute
messing around with a hot roasting pan at the very moment when burner space
is at a premium becomes entirely optional.

A few hours of simmering now eliminates the X factor of pan juices later -
the cook never knows precisely how much will be sloshing around in that pan
until the guests are already hovering near the kitchen door.

"The great paradox of Thanksgiving is that if you roast your turkey
properly, or if it is stuffed, the juices will stay in the bird and not come
out into the roasting pan," said James Peterson, a cooking instructor in New
York City who has recently revised his authoritative tome "Sauces: Classical
and Contemporary Sauce Making" (Wiley, 1991). "That gives you no pan
drippings to work with." Mr. Peterson also advises having homemade turkey
stock on hand, and whisking a little butter into an underseasoned gravy to
add richness and stretch the flavor.

Gravy, American style, is composed of three elements: fat, flour and liquid.
The fat can come from the cooking pan, or an outside source such as butter
or bacon fat. The liquid can be composed of stock, pan juices, wine, milk,
coffee, water - American ingenuity has produced countless variations, like
red-eye gravy and sawmill gravy, made from the crusty bits of breakfast
sausage in the frying pan. Wine is controversial: some feel it has no place
in classic American gravy, but others like the brightness that comes from
the acid in the wine. Some cooks work the flour and fat together into a
paste, then add this mixture to simmering liquid. Alternatively, the flour
is cooked in the fat until just golden, or until mahogany brown, or anywhere
in between - this depends very much on the regional and personal preferences
of the cook.

"I cook my roux for a full hour," said Tina Meche, a cook in St. Mary
Parish, in Louisiana, who says she counts the time in glasses of red wine
consumed (one every 20 minutes). "I think a pale gravy looks undercooked and
kind of raw, but that's just how I was raised."

It's the proportion that doesn't vary: one tablespoon of fat to one
tablespoon of flour to one cup of liquid will make gravy.

Fear of lumps is common. "Many people think the stock has to be hot to
prevent lumps, but that's not actually the issue," Mr. Peterson said. "Add
your stock to the roux a little at a time at first, whisk it in really well,
and it doesn't even have to be hot." As the mixture heats in the pan, the
starch will absorb the liquid to thicken the gravy.

Another way to accomplish this is to mix the flour with a little water
beforehand.

"My mother used to add her flour right into the pan, but I'm a chicken,"
said Diane Roupe, a 74-year-old Des Moines native, longtime judge at the
Iowa State Fair, and author of "The Blue Ribbon Country Cookbook" (Thomas
Nelson, 2007), a thick primer of classic Midwestern recipes. "I always shake
it up in a jar." In the book, Ms. Roupe writes regretfully that the American
love for and mastery of gravy probably peaked in her youth, when milk gravy
was on the table at least once a day.

"I was raised in town, but we came from country people and it was meat and
potatoes every night, and always gravy on top," she said. "But then people
figured out that gravy is pretty much all fat, starch and salt. It was one
of the first things to go from the Midwestern diet."

Thanksgiving dinner, of course, is not the time to think about such things.
The recipe here is unapologetically traditional. Its lack of last-minute
deglazing may be mildly heretical but should free up the stovetop, and the
host, for other duties. Still, daredevil cooks say they start the gravy only
when the turkey leaves the roasting pan, and leave the rest to chance.

"I always think I know how to do it," Ms. Meche said. "And suddenly it seems
really complicated: I have to skim, I have to whisk, meanwhile the turkey is
getting cold and there are a hundred people in my kitchen." But, she said,
she finds herself addicted to the excitement. "It's all part of the blood,
sweat and tears," she said. "That's how you know it's Thanksgiving."

Recipe

Turkey Gravy From Scratch

By JULIA MOSKIN

Time: About 9 hours, plus cooling

FOR THE TURKEY STOCK:

4 tablespoons butter, more if necessary for gravy, and for seasoning (option
al)

6 turkey legs or other dark meat turkey parts (thighs, wings, etc.), to make
about 6 pounds

Salt and black pepper

1 medium onion, peeled and stuck with 3 cloves

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

3 stalks celery with leaves, trimmed and cut into large chunks

2 bay leaves

12 black peppercorns

1 cup white wine, Madeira, vermouth, dry sherry or water


FOR THE GRAVY:

12 tablespoons ( 3/4 cup) all-purpose flour

Salt and black pepper.

1. For the stock: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 4 tablespoons butter.
Sprinkle turkey parts with salt and pepper, place in roasting pan and brush
with melted butter. Roast 2 hours, basting with butter every 20 minutes or
so.

2. Transfer roasted turkey to a stockpot and set roasting pan aside. Add
onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns to stockpot. Add cold
water just to cover, bring to a simmer and cook, slightly uncovered, about 6
hours.

3. Meanwhile, place roasting pan on top of stove and bring juices to a
simmer over low heat. Pour in wine (or water), stirring and scraping to
bring up browned bits. (If using wine, simmer at least 5 minutes.) Pour all
liquid into a bowl and refrigerate. When deglazing liquid is cool, lift off
top layer of fat; reserve fat. Add deglazing liquid to stockpot.

4. When stock is golden and flavorful, strain into a large container and
refrigerate. When cool, lift off fat and mix it with reserved fat from
deglazing liquid. Reserve 3 quarts stock for gravy and refrigerate or freeze
the rest for another use.

5. For the gravy: In a deep skillet or large heavy pot, melt 12 tablespoons
( 3/4 cup) reserved turkey fat over medium heat. If you do not have enough
turkey fat, use additional butter to make 3/4 cup. Gradually whisk in the
flour. Cook, whisking, until golden brown and toasty-smelling, 3 to 5
minutes or longer for darker gravy.

6. Whisk in a small amount of stock (this prevents lumps), then add
remainder more quickly and whisk until smooth. Simmer, continually whisking,
until thickened. If too thick, thin with more stock or a little wine and
simmer briefly. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, whisk in a few
tablespoons cold butter to smooth and enrich gravy.

Yield: 3 quarts, about 20 servings.

To make ahead: Gravy can be made up to a month ahead. It freezes well in
plastic containers or bags. Thaw in refrigerator or over low heat. Whisk in
a little water if it appears curdled or too thick.

Note: Recipe can be halved to make about 6 cups gravy. Or for more gravy,
use remaining stock and add 1 tablespoon fat and 1 tablespoon flour to the
roux in Step 5 for each cup additional stock..."

</>

"Gregory Morrow" > wrote in message
m...
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/di...ravy.html?_r=1
>
> November 19, 2008
>
> Flavorful Gravy Makes Thanksgiving
>>
> FOR THE TURKEY STOCK:
>
> 4 tablespoons butter, more if necessary for gravy, and for seasoning
> (option
> al)
> 6 turkey legs or other dark meat turkey parts (thighs, wings, etc.), to
> make
> about 6 pounds
> Salt and black pepper
> 1 medium onion, peeled and stuck with 3 cloves
> 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
> 3 stalks celery with leaves, trimmed and cut into large chunks
> 2 bay leaves
> 12 black peppercorn
> 1 cup white wine, Madeira, vermouth, dry sherry or water
>
> FOR THE GRAVY:
>
> 12 tablespoons ( 3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
> Salt and black pepper.
>

> Yield: 3 quarts, about 20 servings.


How do you get 3 quarts of gravy from ONE cup of liquid?
Am I missing something here??

Van



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http://www.pronews.com offers corporate packages that have access to 100,000+ newsgroups

On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 05:20:08 -0500, Van wrote in post :
> :

> "Gregory Morrow" > wrote in message
> m...
>>
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/di...ravy.html?_r=1
>>
>> November 19, 2008
>>
>> Flavorful Gravy Makes Thanksgiving
>>>
>> FOR THE TURKEY STOCK:
>>
>> 4 tablespoons butter, more if necessary for gravy, and for seasoning
>> (option
>> al)
>> 6 turkey legs or other dark meat turkey parts (thighs, wings, etc.), to
>> make
>> about 6 pounds
>> Salt and black pepper
>> 1 medium onion, peeled and stuck with 3 cloves
>> 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
>> 3 stalks celery with leaves, trimmed and cut into large chunks
>> 2 bay leaves
>> 12 black peppercorn
>> 1 cup white wine, Madeira, vermouth, dry sherry or water
>>
>> FOR THE GRAVY:
>>
>> 12 tablespoons ( 3/4 cup) all-purpose flour
>> Salt and black pepper.
>>
>
>> Yield: 3 quarts, about 20 servings.
>
> How do you get 3 quarts of gravy from ONE cup of liquid?
> Am I missing something here??

You missed:
2. ... Add cold water just to cover, ...


--
Tim C.

"Tim C." > wrote in message
...

>
> You missed:
> 2. ... Add cold water just to cover, ...


So I did. I was just skimming over the ingredients list. Missed it.

Thanks, Tim.

Van

p.s. ---> Ever ask for a glass of water in a restaurant & have the
waiter/waitress forget to bring it?
It's because they didn't WRITE IT DOWN. They usually only write
down/remember what they charge money for, is my guess.

Oh, well.


---- Posted via Pronews.com - Premium Corporate Usenet News Provider ----
http://www.pronews.com offers corporate packages that have access to 100,000+ newsgroups

On Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:13:21 -0500, Van wrote in post :
> :

> "Tim C." > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>
>> You missed:
>> 2. ... Add cold water just to cover, ...
>
> So I did. I was just skimming over the ingredients list. Missed it.
>
> Thanks, Tim.

I had to read it twice


> p.s. ---> Ever ask for a glass of water in a restaurant & have the
> waiter/waitress forget to bring it?

Nope.

> It's because they didn't WRITE IT DOWN. They usually only write
> down/remember what they charge money for, is my guess.

Not here. Only if it's an order for 4 people with drinks and extra wishes
do they bother writing anything down. Or a very, very busy place.

--
Tim C.

In article > ,
"Gregory Morrow" > wrote:

> http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/di...ravy.html?_r=1
>
>
> November 19, 2008
>
> Flavorful Gravy Makes Thanksgiving
>
<snipped>

I make my gravy by purchasing extra packages of giblets (hearts and/or
gizzards, NO livers!) and (especially) turkey necks and making fresh
turkey stock the day before. I add onions, garlic, sliced mushrooms and
celery, and ONE carrot, along with thyme, sage, and lemon pepper. I
cook it down a bit to thicken it (after straining off the solids), then
add the roast turkey drippings while the turkey is resting. Bring it up
to a good simmer and thicken with arrowroot or corn starch slurry.

I always end up with too much gravy, if there is such a thing. <g>
--
Peace! Om

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." -- Dalai Lama

On 2008-11-19, Gregory Morrow > wrote:

> For less experienced cooks, the recipe for gravy often includes anxiety.

As usual, the NYT piece is a crock of crap. What normal TG person makes
gravy for 350? You want great fantastic gravy? It's child play.

To make perfect turkey gravy for your family, merely add a quartered onion,
2-3 stalks of celery, 2-3 whole peeled carrots. and a bay leaf to bottom of
your turkey roasting pan. You can drop the neck and whatever other turkey
ofal you don't have reserved for something else, too. Roast turkey in your
usual fashion. When ready for gravy, remove veggies and add flour/water
slurry to turkey drippings and stir till thickened. Make sure gravy boils
for at least a couple mins to eliminate flour taste. Natch, add S&P to
taste. Maybe some liq smoke or kitch bouquet (opt). That's it. Enjoy.

nb

In article >,
notbob > wrote:

> On 2008-11-19, Gregory Morrow > wrote:
>
> > For less experienced cooks, the recipe for gravy often includes anxiety.
>
> As usual, the NYT piece is a crock of crap. What normal TG person makes
> gravy for 350? You want great fantastic gravy? It's child play.
>
> To make perfect turkey gravy for your family, merely add a quartered onion,
> 2-3 stalks of celery, 2-3 whole peeled carrots. and a bay leaf to bottom of
> your turkey roasting pan. You can drop the neck and whatever other turkey
> ofal you don't have reserved for something else, too. Roast turkey in your
> usual fashion. When ready for gravy, remove veggies and add flour/water
> slurry to turkey drippings and stir till thickened. Make sure gravy boils
> for at least a couple mins to eliminate flour taste. Natch, add S&P to
> taste. Maybe some liq smoke or kitch bouquet (opt). That's it. Enjoy.
>
> nb

Sounds good except for the amount of carrot. It tends to overwhelm
(ymmv).
--
Peace! Om

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." -- Dalai Lama

On 2008-11-20, Omelet > wrote:

> Sounds good except for the amount of carrot. It tends to overwhelm
> (ymmv).

Reduce amount or eliminate altogether.

nb

On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:57:52 -0600, "Gregory Morrow"
> wrote:

>
>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/di...ravy.html?_r=1
>
>
>November 19, 2008
>
>Flavorful Gravy Makes Thanksgiving
>
My younger daughter would agree strongly with that sentiment. I'm
proud to say that she considers her dad's gravy the only *good* gravy
around, it's what she looks forward to. Anything else is just liquid
something-or-another to keep the mashed potatoes and meat from being
too dry... :-)

Best -- Terry

In article >,
notbob > wrote:

> On 2008-11-20, Omelet > wrote:
>
> > Sounds good except for the amount of carrot. It tends to overwhelm
> > (ymmv).
>
> Reduce amount or eliminate altogether.
>
> nb

I only use _one_ for at least 2 to 3 quarts.
--
Peace! Om

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." -- Dalai Lama