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I've never used a base. I made my gravy last weekend with turkey wings and put it in the freezer. I did see some at Fresh Market on Providence this weekend though (base).
I've never used a base. I made my gravy last weekend with turkey wings and put it in the freezer. I did see some at Fresh Market on Providence this weekend though (base).
I buy the cheap powder gravy pkt, in turkey favor at my local market. While I am preparing my bird, I simmer the giblets in a medium sauce pan, for approximately 1 hr...I cool and cut up the giblets and save the broth for the liquid in my gravy mix and refrigerate them to add to my gravy.
I make about 6 pkgs, w/ the added drippings, cut up giblets and broth, approx 6 1/2-8 cups of gravy. I add drippings and the cooked, cut up giblets and broth to the gravy as I simmer it according to pkg directions on top of the stove in a large sauce pan. You are going to need to use a large sauce pan. I make a very large quantity to have plenty for left overs.
I try to get plenty of the drippings from my roasting pan and add that to my gravy pan while simmering. You usually start your gravy about the last half hour of roasting time.
My gravy is as good as any I've ever tasted...yet inexpensive to make. Hope this helps.
Usually something close to this. It's easy, delicious and freezes well. One less thing to worry about on the big day. I'll be keeping my mashed potatoes in my crockpot all day. Another thing to check off the list and it frees up the stovetop for everything else. I have a 22 pound turkey and a huge spiral ham, both purchased at Harris Teeter who is having a great sale on asparagus. They also have really good looking turnips which are a must for my family. I'm also making green bean casserole with Trader Joe's fried onions which are so much better than French's IMHO. Also TJ's cornbread. And about ten other dishes! Among the apps will be a cheese assortment, all from TJ's as I love their cheeses and cheese prices. The HT at Quail Corner was having a ridiculous sale on discontinued wines so I stocked up. Feeding 20 this year. I love Thankgiving!
One of the very few cooking tasks I learned from my mom is how to make gravy. Pan drippings, corn starch, maybe a little this or that. It's easy and everyone who has tried it loves it.
I always cook my bird in a cooking bag (Reynolds wrap). Turkey always juicy and tender. But then again I have to serve about 48 and after 30 years of various methods it's the most consistent. To make excellent gravy I use all the drippings and put the roaster on a couple of burners, add a bit of chicken base (never use gravypackets, but would I an emergency). I shake together Wondra Flour with half and half cream in a shaker jar and thicken the juices from the bird in the roaster pan on the stove top burners. My turkey is always roasted with carrots, celery and onion. (roasted vegables give the best flavor). Some years I'll add fresh rosemary or sage (rubbed).
If the drippings are meager I will add some chicken broth, Never add salt til later, and then only kosher salt. If you arn't tasting a full body gravy add poultry seasoning and sage...LOT'S of it. And if you can't make a decent gravy then serve good liquor.
to review: add poultry seasoning and sage. Use Wondra flour. All else fails.....serve good booze. (and have a cab ready)
I always cook my bird in a cooking bag (Reynolds wrap). Turkey always juicy and tender. But then again I have to serve about 48 and after 30 years of various methods it's the most consistent. To make excellent gravy I use all the drippings and put the roaster on a couple of burners, add a bit of chicken base (never use gravypackets, but would I an emergency). I shake together Wondra Flour with half and half cream in a shaker jar and thicken the juices from the bird in the roaster pan on the stove top burners. My turkey is always roasted with carrots, celery and onion. (roasted vegables give the best flavor). Some years I'll add fresh rosemary or sage (rubbed).
If the drippings are meager I will add some chicken broth, Never add salt til later, and then only kosher salt. If you arn't tasting a full body gravy add poultry seasoning and sage...LOT'S of it. And if you can't make a decent gravy then serve good liquor.
to review: add poultry seasoning and sage. Use Wondra flour. All else fails.....serve good booze. (and have a cab ready)
Mine is similar, except instead of the Wondra flour and half & half, I use unbleached flour and unsalted butter and make a roux, gradually adding hot broth to the pan of roux until it's runny, then I pour that back into the broth. Butter makes nearly anything better.
I'll add boxed broth or stock if the drippings are sparse. Trader Joe's has a good turkey broth, or Kitchen Basics makes a good all-natural one. (bolded to answer the OP's question. I've never used a gravy base, so I'm not sure of the difference between that & stock.)
I also don't add sage, not all of my family cares for it. And I don't use the bags.
OK, mine is not that similar, besides using the roasting pan, veggies, & drippings.
It seems like I saw some already-made turkey gravy at Trader Joe's too, if you want to go the easy route. Their stuff tends to have less sodium.
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