TURKEY TIME THANKSGIVING GRAVY

To lessen the culinary workload on Thanksgiving day, most of the gravy-making components in this recipe are done ahead except for the finishing step of deglazing the turkey’s roasting pan.

INGREDIENTS:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch-wide crescents

3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups turkey stock

1 tablespoon Turkey Time seasoning

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce, or more to taste (used to enrich the color as well as flavor of the gravy)

Peppered Salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. One or two days before Thanksgiving, make the gravy base: Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy 2-quart pot. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion has become randomly caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 ½ minutes. Slow whisk in the turkey stock, blending with the flour to make a lightly thickened emulsion. Add the Turkey Time seasoning. Bring mixture to a simmer and continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour.
2. Strain the solids from the gravy base, discard, and store the strained base in the refrigerator until ready to use.
3. After your turkey is cooked on Thanksgiving day, remove it to a carving board to rest while finishing the gravy. Pour as much fat as possible out of the roasting pan while retaining all the crispy bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. Place the pan over a medium heat on a stove burner and add the white wine. Cook, stirring and scraping up all the bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. Let simmer for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the strained gravy base, about ½ cup up at time, to make a light emulsion. Continue simmering until the gravy is smooth and lightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
4.  Whisk in the tamari or soy sauce to deepen the color of gravy. Whisk in a bit more if the color is not to your liking. Taste and season the gravy to taste with the Peppered Salt. Pour the gravy into a saucepan or transfer to a gravy boat and keep warm until ready to serve.

Makes about 4 cups