Volume 9, Issue 86 - October 31, 2005

Hello Recipe Club,

Happy Halloween folks.

Jules Silver from ClubSauce.com is back this week as our host. With the holidays coming up, he asked if he could provide us with some turkey gravy and leftover tips. We thought that this would be timely. Save this week's recipe into your holiday recipe folder for use over the next couple of months. Take it away Jules...

Making gravies, sauces, soups and stews for the holiday season can be a daunting task. Club Sauce has assembled some recipes that will make your life in the kitchen a whole lot easier and much more fun. Some of the recipes can be prepared in advance. We have even included turkey gravy that you can prepare before you have bought the turkey. You will also find some delicious tasting recipes using the leftovers from the big Thanksgiving feast.

First off there is turkey gravy and then there is turkey gravy. To make really good tasting turkey gravy we believe you must use a good quality turkey stock. You have two options: Follow the recipe below and make your own turkey stock or purchase a prepared turkey stock and cut the time and the effort by more than half. Once you have turkey stock the following two recipes for simple Turkey Gravy and the more complex Turkey Gravy Perfected are pretty easy and delicious, I assure you.

Jules Silver

Note: Be sure to retain Monday's recipes as they will be used in recipes throughout the week.

ClubSauce.Com Prepare all your soups, sauces & recipes with demi-glace & classic stock reductions including turkey, veal, lobster, lamb, venison, chicken, seafood, & veggie.

Turkey Stock

Makes 6 cups

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
turkey giblets (neck, tailpiece, heart and gizzard)
1 large onion peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 carrot peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon thyme
2 dried bay leaves
8 cups water

Preparation:

Place vegetable oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add turkey giblets and brown for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes. Stir in onion, carrots and celery, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until onion begins to brown.

Add water, bay leaves and thyme and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and partially cover. Simmer for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Strain the stock through a colander and cool in the refrigerator uncovered. When the stock is cool you can skim the solidified fat from the surface with a spoon.

You can season the stock with salt and pepper and serve it as a flavorful broth, or use it in soups, stews, rice and risotto dishes. It will be good for several days when refrigerated, or freeze the remainder for later use.

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Now that we have a flavorful turkey stock, we can proceed with recipe #2 for a:

Quick and Easy Turkey Gravy using Home Made Turkey Stock

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons fat from turkey pan
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups home made turkey stock (see recipe above)

Preparation:

Remove turkey from the roasting pan and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the butter and melt, scrapping all the browned bits, pieces and drippings and mix together.

Stir in the flour and blend in over medium heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slowly pour the stock into the pan stirring constantly, until smooth and simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

Quick and Easy Turkey Gravy Alternative Method Using a Turkey Stock Reduction

You don't even need a turkey or turkey parts to prepare this recipe.

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1.5 ounces More Than Gourmet Gold Roasted Turkey Stock reduction
2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves crushed
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and blend until the flour begins to turn a nutty brown color.

Mix the turkey stock with the boiling water in a separate container. Slowly add the turkey stock to the saucepan stirring and blending the ingredients together until smooth.

Add the tarragon and serve.

Note: If you feel creative you can replace 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons turkey fat as in recipe above and add any pan drippings as in step one.

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Turkey Gravy Perfected

This recipe is very easy but it does take a little more time to create and adds layers of flavor for an elegant turkey gravy.

Makes 5 to 6 cups

Ingredients:

1 1/2 ounce duck fat More Than Gourmet Rendered Duck Fat or equal amount of unsalted butter
4 1/2 cups of equal parts chopped celery, peeled onion and peeled carrots
1 cup dry white wine
3 ounces More Than Gourmet Turkey Stock reduction plus 4 cups hot water or 4 cups of homemade turkey stock from recipe above
1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves crushed
3 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley, divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
 

Preparation:

Heat the duck fat or butter over a medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the chopped vegetables and sauté for 40 to 45 minutes making sure not to scorch or burn them.

When vegetables are browned and softened, slowly add the wine and stir, using a high heat and reduce until the liquid is almost completely evaporated.

In a separate pot combine the turkey stock, thyme and 2 tablespoons parsley and simmer slowly over a medium heat.

Remove the vegetables to a blender, add 1 cup of the turkey stock and purée. Strain the remaining stock and add it to the purée.

In a separate pan melt the remaining butter over a medium heat and whisk in the flour stirring until it reaches a nutty brown color. Turn off the heat, add the turkey purée mixture and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, scrapping sides and bottom of pot. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of minced parsley and serve.