How To Make The Best Turkey Giblet Gravy Fast and Easy

Now that you know How To Cook A Turkey that's truly juicy and delicious, it's time to add some gravy to the Thanksgiving Dinner Menu!

For years I thought I couldn't make homemade gravy. Every time I tried, the result was either flavorless goop or a lumpy, chalky mess. I finally learned how to do it the right way a few years back, and now I look forward to the gravy as the best part of the meal!

Once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to prepare an amazingly tasty and perfectly smooth gravy in about 15 minutes.

The basic techniques I will show you here will work for any type of meat gravy. You can even throw together a quick gravy in a pinch from canned chicken or beef stock with decent results - certainly better than jarred gravy!

• Gravy Fat Separator
• Fine Mesh Strainer
• Saucier Pan
• Whisk
• Stainless Steel Skillet (not non-stick)
• Splatter Shield

• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• Turkey Giblets - organs and neck
  
  
  
• 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• 3 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
• 4 cups Chicken or Homemade Vegetable Stock (or a combination of both)
• Salt, Pepper and Dry Thyme, to taste

1. Rinse the Turkey Neck and Organs under cold running water. Set aside the Liver (it's the brown slippery one).
2. In a large Stainless Steel Skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the Butter with 1 tablespoon Olive Oil over High heat.
3. Once the Butter's foam subsides, add the Neck and Organs (except Liver) to the pan and cover with the Splatter Shield.
4. Reduce the heat to Medium-High and cook the Giblets for several minutes until well browned. Turn the Giblets to ensure they are evenly browned.
5. Meanwhile, chop the Liver as finely as you can.
6. You should notice while you cook that there's a build up of brown chunks on the bottom of the pan. This is good! It's called "fond" and it will be the basis for the flavor in our gravy. If you use a non-stick pan, your fond won't develop as well (because it won't stick to the pan)...
7. Once everything is nice and evenly browned, remove the Giblets and discard them.
8. Pour about 3 cups of Stock into the hot pan and return the heat to High.
9. As the liquid begins to boil, scrape all those brown bits from the bottom of the pan until everything is nicely incorporated.
10. Once the liquid is boiling and the bottom of the pan is clean, turn off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
11. Once the liquid has cooled, strain it into a Gravy Fat Separator.
    
12. Add the remainder of the Stock to the Fat Separator.
13. Once the fat has risen to the top of the Fat Separator, it's time to make the Roux!

A roux is the basic thickening agent of many sauces, and making one is basic Cooking 101!

By melting butter or other fat and then adding an equal amount of flour, you ensure that there will be no lumps in your sauce or gravy.

As a general rule of thumb, 3 tablespoons each of butter and flour is good for thickening 3-4 cups of liquid.

The longer you cook a roux before adding the liquid, the more thickening power it will have. Cooking the sauce or gravy after adding the liquid to the roux also makes it thicker.

1. Place the Saucier over Medium heat and melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of Butter.
2. Once the foam has subsided, whisk in the Flour, stirring constantly until completely absorbed by the Butter.
3. Let the Roux cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes more.
4. Slowly pour the fat-separated Giblet liquid into the Roux, whisking constantly. Once all of the liquid (but none of that fat!) is in the Saucier, turn the heat to Medium-Low and continue to whisk. If the Gravy is too thin, cook a little longer to thicken it. If it's too thick, add a little more Stock and continue to whisk. The Gravy will get thicker as it cooks, so keep an eye on it.
5. Add Salt, Pepper and Thyme to taste!

Now that you have that delicious gravy, you'll need some Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes to put it on!

They make a great addition to any Thanksgiving Dinner Menu!

This Homemade Turkey Giblet Gravy is the perfect accompaniment to my Juicy and Tender Roast Turkey Recipe!

Even if you already know how to cook a turkey, this recipe just might help you to improve your your turkey cooking skills...

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