THANKSGIVING BEING AN ORGY OF RICH DISHES, I PREFER A LIGHT GRAVY, A REDUCTION OF TURKEY STOCK TO WHICH I ADD GIBLETS (CUT UP HEARTS AND GIZZARDS) AND A LAST-MINUTE INCLUSION OF CELERY AND GREEN ONIONS FOR CRUNCH AND PUNCH. DAYS AHEAD, I MAKE TURKEY STOCK FROM TURKEY NECKS AND BONES WHICH POP UP IN THE POULTRY CASE AS SOON AS THE WHOLE TURKEYS DO. I ROAST THE BONES IN THE OVEN ALONG WITH SOME AROMATICS, THEN DUMP THEM IN A STOCK POT WITH FRESH HERBS AND SIMMER FOR SEVERAL HOURS. COOLED OVERNIGHT, THE FAT WILL RISE TO THE SURFACE AND CONGEAL. I STRAIN OUT THE SOLIDS AND REDUCE THE STOCK TO HALF. YOU CAN JUDGE FOR YOURSELF HOW MUCH YOU'LL NEED FOR YOUR TURKEY, STUFFING, MASHED POTATOES, AND FREEZE THE REST IN CONTAINERS. HOMEMADE TURKEY STOCK IS GREAT FOR ALL KINDS OF THINGS -- SOUPS, STEWS AND PILAFS, TO NAME BUT A FEW. IF YOU STILL HAVE A HANKERING FOR A THICKER, CREAMIER GRAVY, YOU CAN MAKE A ROUX OF FLOUR AND BUTTER AND POUR IN YOUR STOCK. IT WILL THICKEN UP NICELY.
HEAT THE OVEN TO 375º
SPREAD THE NECKS AND CARCASSES OUT ON A RIMMED BAKING SHEET AND PLACE IN THE OVEN.
MEANWHILE, PEEL AND ROUGHLY CUT UP 2 OF THE ONIONS. ONCE THE TURKEY PARTS START TO BROWN, ADD THE ONIONS TO THE BAKING SHEET.
WHEN THE ONIONS AND TURKEY PARTS ARE MAHOGANY BROWN, DUMP EVERYTHING IN A LARGE STOCK POT. FILL WIL COLD WATER AND PLACE ON A LOW FLAME.
NOTE: YOU DON'T WANT THE STOCK TO COME TO HARD BOIL BECAUSE THE FAT WILL NOT SEPARATE FROM THE LIQUID AND YOUR STOCK WILL CURDLE.
TOSS IN THE WHOLE HEAD OF GARLIC, A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF THYME, A FEW BAY LEAVES AND THE STAR ANISE.
SIMMER STOCK FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS ON A LOW FLAME.
ALLOW TO COOL. PUT A LARGE STRAINER OVER A BOWL OR ANOTHER LARGE POT. USING A SKIMMER OR A SPIDER REMOVE THE SOLIDS, PRESSING THEM INTO THE STRAINER TO EXTRACT AS MUCH JUICE AS POSSIBLE BEFORE DISCARDING. PLACE IN THE FRIDGE AND CHILL OVERNIGHT.
THE NEXT DAY, SKIM OFF AS MUCH FAT AS YOU CAN. STRAIN AGAIN INTO A LARGE POT. BRING TO A LOW BOIL AND REDUCE THE STOCK BY HALF.
POUR 3 QUARTS INTO A SMALLER POT. FREEZE WHAT'S LEFT IN SMALLER CONTAINERS.
REDUCE THE THREE QUARTS BY HALF. THIS IS THE BASE FOR YOUR THANKSGIVING TURKEY STOCK.
WHEN YOU'RE READY TO FINISH THE SAUCE, CUT UP THE GIBLETS. BROWN IN A LARGE SAUCEPAN WITH A SPLASH OF PEANUT OIL AND 3 TBSPS OF BUTTER.
BRING THE TURKEY STOCK TO A SIMMER.
MEANWHILE, PEEL AND DICE ONE BROWN ONION. ADD TO THE GIBLETS, REDUCE THE HEAT AND STIR TILL THE ONIONS ARE TRANSLUCENT.
NOTE: IF YOU PREFER A THICKER GRAVY, STIR IN 3 TBSPS OF FLOUR AND STIR FOR A FEW MINUTES TILL THE FLOUR HAS THOROUGHLY COATED THE GIBLETS AND HAS BROWNED SLIGHTLY. OFF THE HEAT, POUR IN THE HOT TURKEY STOCK, STIRRING VIGOROUSLY SO THE FLOUR WON'T FORM LUMPS. RETURN TO THE STOVE ON A MEDIUM FLAME AND CONTINUE STIRRING UNTIL THE MIXTURE THICKENS.
DICE THE CELERY OR FENNEL. TRIM AND DICE THE GREEN ONIONS.
WHILE THE TURKEY IS RESTING, ADD THE CELERY/FENNEL AND GREEN ONIONS TO THE GRAVY. BRING TO A SIMMER AND COOK FOR 5 MINUTES.
SERVES: HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU HAVING?
HEAT THE OVEN TO 375º
SPREAD THE NECKS AND CARCASSES OUT ON A RIMMED BAKING SHEET AND PLACE IN THE OVEN.
MEANWHILE, PEEL AND ROUGHLY CUT UP 2 OF THE ONIONS. ONCE THE TURKEY PARTS START TO BROWN, ADD THE ONIONS TO THE BAKING SHEET.
WHEN THE ONIONS AND TURKEY PARTS ARE MAHOGANY BROWN, DUMP EVERYTHING IN A LARGE STOCK POT. FILL WIL COLD WATER AND PLACE ON A LOW FLAME.
NOTE: YOU DON'T WANT THE STOCK TO COME TO HARD BOIL BECAUSE THE FAT WILL NOT SEPARATE FROM THE LIQUID AND YOUR STOCK WILL CURDLE.
TOSS IN THE WHOLE HEAD OF GARLIC, A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF THYME, A FEW BAY LEAVES AND THE STAR ANISE.
SIMMER STOCK FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS ON A LOW FLAME.
ALLOW TO COOL. PUT A LARGE STRAINER OVER A BOWL OR ANOTHER LARGE POT. USING A SKIMMER OR A SPIDER REMOVE THE SOLIDS, PRESSING THEM INTO THE STRAINER TO EXTRACT AS MUCH JUICE AS POSSIBLE BEFORE DISCARDING. PLACE IN THE FRIDGE AND CHILL OVERNIGHT.
THE NEXT DAY, SKIM OFF AS MUCH FAT AS YOU CAN. STRAIN AGAIN INTO A LARGE POT. BRING TO A LOW BOIL AND REDUCE THE STOCK BY HALF.
POUR 3 QUARTS INTO A SMALLER POT. FREEZE WHAT'S LEFT IN SMALLER CONTAINERS.
REDUCE THE THREE QUARTS BY HALF. THIS IS THE BASE FOR YOUR THANKSGIVING TURKEY STOCK.
WHEN YOU'RE READY TO FINISH THE SAUCE, CUT UP THE GIBLETS. BROWN IN A LARGE SAUCEPAN WITH A SPLASH OF PEANUT OIL AND 3 TBSPS OF BUTTER.
BRING THE TURKEY STOCK TO A SIMMER.
MEANWHILE, PEEL AND DICE ONE BROWN ONION. ADD TO THE GIBLETS, REDUCE THE HEAT AND STIR TILL THE ONIONS ARE TRANSLUCENT.
NOTE: IF YOU PREFER A THICKER GRAVY, STIR IN 3 TBSPS OF FLOUR AND STIR FOR A FEW MINUTES TILL THE FLOUR HAS THOROUGHLY COATED THE GIBLETS AND HAS BROWNED SLIGHTLY. OFF THE HEAT, POUR IN THE HOT TURKEY STOCK, STIRRING VIGOROUSLY SO THE FLOUR WON'T FORM LUMPS. RETURN TO THE STOVE ON A MEDIUM FLAME AND CONTINUE STIRRING UNTIL THE MIXTURE THICKENS.
DICE THE CELERY OR FENNEL. TRIM AND DICE THE GREEN ONIONS.
WHILE THE TURKEY IS RESTING, ADD THE CELERY/FENNEL AND GREEN ONIONS TO THE GRAVY. BRING TO A SIMMER AND COOK FOR 5 MINUTES.
SERVES: HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU HAVING?
Ingredients
Directions
HEAT THE OVEN TO 375º
SPREAD THE NECKS AND CARCASSES OUT ON A RIMMED BAKING SHEET AND PLACE IN THE OVEN.
MEANWHILE, PEEL AND ROUGHLY CUT UP 2 OF THE ONIONS. ONCE THE TURKEY PARTS START TO BROWN, ADD THE ONIONS TO THE BAKING SHEET.
WHEN THE ONIONS AND TURKEY PARTS ARE MAHOGANY BROWN, DUMP EVERYTHING IN A LARGE STOCK POT. FILL WIL COLD WATER AND PLACE ON A LOW FLAME.
NOTE: YOU DON'T WANT THE STOCK TO COME TO HARD BOIL BECAUSE THE FAT WILL NOT SEPARATE FROM THE LIQUID AND YOUR STOCK WILL CURDLE.
TOSS IN THE WHOLE HEAD OF GARLIC, A GENEROUS AMOUNT OF THYME, A FEW BAY LEAVES AND THE STAR ANISE.
SIMMER STOCK FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS ON A LOW FLAME.
ALLOW TO COOL. PUT A LARGE STRAINER OVER A BOWL OR ANOTHER LARGE POT. USING A SKIMMER OR A SPIDER REMOVE THE SOLIDS, PRESSING THEM INTO THE STRAINER TO EXTRACT AS MUCH JUICE AS POSSIBLE BEFORE DISCARDING. PLACE IN THE FRIDGE AND CHILL OVERNIGHT.
THE NEXT DAY, SKIM OFF AS MUCH FAT AS YOU CAN. STRAIN AGAIN INTO A LARGE POT. BRING TO A LOW BOIL AND REDUCE THE STOCK BY HALF.
POUR 3 QUARTS INTO A SMALLER POT. FREEZE WHAT'S LEFT IN SMALLER CONTAINERS.
REDUCE THE THREE QUARTS BY HALF. THIS IS THE BASE FOR YOUR THANKSGIVING TURKEY STOCK.
WHEN YOU'RE READY TO FINISH THE SAUCE, CUT UP THE GIBLETS. BROWN IN A LARGE SAUCEPAN WITH A SPLASH OF PEANUT OIL AND 3 TBSPS OF BUTTER.
BRING THE TURKEY STOCK TO A SIMMER.
MEANWHILE, PEEL AND DICE ONE BROWN ONION. ADD TO THE GIBLETS, REDUCE THE HEAT AND STIR TILL THE ONIONS ARE TRANSLUCENT.
NOTE: IF YOU PREFER A THICKER GRAVY, STIR IN 3 TBSPS OF FLOUR AND STIR FOR A FEW MINUTES TILL THE FLOUR HAS THOROUGHLY COATED THE GIBLETS AND HAS BROWNED SLIGHTLY. OFF THE HEAT, POUR IN THE HOT TURKEY STOCK, STIRRING VIGOROUSLY SO THE FLOUR WON'T FORM LUMPS. RETURN TO THE STOVE ON A MEDIUM FLAME AND CONTINUE STIRRING UNTIL THE MIXTURE THICKENS.
DICE THE CELERY OR FENNEL. TRIM AND DICE THE GREEN ONIONS.
WHILE THE TURKEY IS RESTING, ADD THE CELERY/FENNEL AND GREEN ONIONS TO THE GRAVY. BRING TO A SIMMER AND COOK FOR 5 MINUTES.
SERVES: HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE YOU HAVING?
Notes
