Turkey Gravy from scratch using the Turkey Bones from a Holiday Turkey Meal. This amazing Turkey Gravy takes a full 24 hours to prepare. Mainly for the Turkey stock to be made and cooled overnight, so we can use the rendered fat for the roux, and the rich gelatinous stock for the gravy. It creates a wonderful Turkey Gravy and a lot of it, so we can use it for the Holiday Turkey Dinner (Holiday Turkey Tray or Butterfly Turkey), Hot Turkey Sandwiches and Newfie Poutine.

The Turkey Stock simmers for 4+ hours or longer if you want to extract as much as you can from the bones, topping it up with more water if needed (healthy bone broth, good for the gut). After that you can season it anyway you like using the Herbs & Spices provided in the recipe, Poultry seasoning or other blends of Herbs & Spices. It really comes down to what flavors you like. With the base established, feel free to make it your own.

Turkey

Both the Turkey & Turkey Stock needs to be cooked up the day before. All the Bones, Skin, Neck, Cartridge from the Turkey are used to make the Turkey Stock the same day and refrigerated overnight. See Butterfly Turkey or Holiday Turkey on how to prepare, cook and store the Turkey Meat.

The Turkey drippings from cooking the Turkey stay in the tray with the meat to keep it juicy and flavorful. Especially so, where the meat is refrigerated overnight and reheated before serving.

Turkey Stock

The Turkey Stock is prepared in two stages, and while this does take quite a bit of time. It does produce an amazing gravy.

• The first, is just to extract the nutrients from the bones and render any fat out. The bones and trimmings are covered with water and simmered for 4 plus hours. This is then strained and cold water added, to help cool down the stock so that it can be refrigerated overnight.
• During the overnight refrigeration, the stock will turn to a gelatinous, rich stock, which will make up the Gravy. All the fat will settle at the top. This is the second stage, where the Fat is scooped off to combine with flour to make a roux for the Gravy, later on. The Gelatinous Stock goes back on the burner, Optionally with Chicken Bouillon Cubes added for flavor if needed or reduced until good flavor. Kept warm on the back burner, in preparation of making the Gravy.

Turkey Bones

All the Turkey Bones from stripping down the Turkey are thrown into the pot and covered with water to simmer away for 4+ hours. This includes the skin and neck that came stuffed innside the Turkey. It can include the internal organs, although this is an aquired taste, alot of people don’t like it.

Turkey Stock Vegetables

The Vegetables or Aromatics that are added is your 1 Onion, 2-3 Carrot, 2-3 Celery with only 1-3 Garlic added. These get coarsely chopped or with Garlic crushed, with the skin still on, and added with the bones.

The Carrots add sweeteness and good color, as does the Onions with skin adds savoriness and good color to the stock.

Turkey Stock Seasoning

The Seasoning added is your basic Bouquet Garni of Parsley, Thyme, and Bay Leaf. Usually fresh herbs are used, but dried will work too, especially where the stock will be strained out. It sometimes includes Black Peppercorn and Cloves or other additional Herbs such as Savory, Rosemary, or Sage.

You could also use Poultry Seasoning here or any combination of Herbs & Spices.

How to make Turkey Stock

With everything in the Pot, Bones, Trimmings, Neck, Aromatics, and Seasoning, fill the pot up with water to cover and bring to a boil. As it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium or medium low to keep a gentle simmer and scoop the scum that rises to the surface, just as it starts to boil for a cleaner stock.

Simmer this for 4 hours and strain through a fine sieve. Place back into a smaller pot and add two (2) Cups of cold water, just to cool it down. Once cooled, refrigerate overnight.

You can also keep simmering this for longer, topping up with more water as needed, to extract everything from the bones. The bones should get softer as an indication of mineral extraction and loads the stock up with minerals and naturual gelatin. Both of which are super foods for the gut and the stock will concentarte in flavor.

Turkey Stock Fat

The next day the stock will have gelatinized, and the fat will have settled and hardened at the top. Although in rare cases it is not and instead itself gelatinous, but is separated from the stock. Scoop off the fat to save for when you are making the roux for the gravy, and return the pot to the back burner on medium heat. Once it is liquified, optionally add Chicken Bouillon Cubes until good flavor is had and lower the heat to keep warm as you make the Turkey Gravy.

You can also reduce this until good flavor develops. For the Holidays, I usually have follow-up meals that require gravy, so I like to make a lot of it and opt to add Chicken Bouillon until good flavor is developed.

Chicken Feet

For the Turkey alone, the main source of Fat is the skin, so trim the Turkey well, including the little knub or tail which is almost all fat, and around the cavity. The cartilage will contribute some fat as well, along with any additional skin when breaking down the Turkey. For an even richer taste and alot more fat, you can include Chicken Feet. I know it sounds gross, but does it ever introduce alot of fat and a beautful silky stock.

Turkey Gravy

With the fat scooped off and the Turkey Stock on the back burner to keep warm, it’s time to make the Turkey Gravy. All that is needed is a Roux & Turkey Stock with some seasoning.

Roux

Equal parts of Fat scooped off the top from chilling the Turkey Stock overnight and Flour to make the Roux. You will need about 1/2 C of each. So if you don’t have enough Fat, top it up with Butter. In the event that not much fat settled at the top, you can use all Butter.

Add the Fat & Flour into a saucepan over medium heat and whisk, moving it around until a blonde or light brown color.

Stock

Add the Hot Stock a cup at a time while whisking until it has thickened, repeat until the desired thickness is achieved. Then let it simmer, whisking once in a while, for 10–15 minutes. Add more stock if needed to keep the consistency. It is also here that you can add in additional seasonings for the gravy.

Gravy Seasoning

The Turkey Stock itself is flavored when the stock was being prepared. When it comes to the Gravy itself, this is where you can experiment and add what you like. Some good choices for Herbs & Spices are;

• Chicken Bouillon Cubes
• Magic Sarap
• Poultry Brine
• Poultry Seasoning
• MSG
• Savory and/or Sage – I really love the addition of Savory, but I think that’s just an East Coast thing. Either way it’s really good and brings the flavor of what you associate a Turkey Gravy with.
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Black and/or White Pepper

A little bit of Acid will lift the fattiness of the Gravy a bit, improving flavor. Only a very small amount of Cream of Tartar can be added to do this. If using Poultry Brine, then this will already contain the cream of tartar, so you won’t need to add any. Careful not to use too much, as this is one area where it is easily overdone. Just the right amount and it does an excellent job at elevating the flavors in a Gravy.

Gluten Free Turkey Gravy

A Gluten Free version can be made by adding a Starch Slurry instead of using a roux to make the Gravy. This can be with Cornstarch or Potato Starch. In this case use the same amount of fat with 4–5 Cups of Stock and mix this to bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer.

Create a Slurry of equal amounts of Starch & Cold Water. Mix this really well and pour slowly into the pot while mixing to thicken. Repeat this until the desired thickness is achieved and remove from the heat. Use about 1-2 Tbl of Starch with an equal amount of Cold Water for every 1 C of liquid, depending on how thick or thin you want the gravy.

Turkey Gravy for Diabetics

For Diabetics, it’s just the same as Gluten Free Turkey Gravy, with using a Slurry to thicken the Gravy as suppose to a roux which contains Flour.

Turkey Gravy Dishes

The Turkey Gravy can be used in a variety of Dishes. With the main Turkey Diner and follow-up meals. Some ideas are;

Turkey Dinner

Ladle that Turkey Gravy over your Turkey & Mashed Potatoes!

Newfie Poutine

Use that Turkey Gravy to make Poutine, Newfie Style. This Newfie Poutine is made with Crispy Fries, topped up with the leftover Turkey, Stovetop, Vegetables, Cheese & Gravy!

Hot Turkey Sandwich

Heat up some leftover turkey and place it on buttered bread. Ladle Gravy over and top with vegetables. Serve with leftover sides, or fries.