Go Back
Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy from Roasted Turkey Wings, the New England Thanksgiving Way

Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

This is the gravy you build days before the bird goes in the oven. Turkey wings and drumsticks roast until mahogany, the pan is deglazed with white wine, and everything simmers down into a stock with real backbone. A honey-brown roux thickens it into something glossy and deep. On Thanksgiving you reheat, whisk in the defatted pan drippings, and walk to the table calm.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 12 People
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 120
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lb turkey wings and drumsticks cut or hacked into 2-inch pieces at the joints
  • 1 set turkey neck and giblets heart and gizzard; discard the liver, it turns bitter
  • 2 medium yellow onions quartered, skin on
  • 2 large carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 2 ribs celery cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 6 cloves garlic smashed, unpeeled
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil for tossing the turkey parts
  • 1 cup dry white wine for deglazing
  • 10 cups turkey or chicken broth low-sodium
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 tbsp reserved turkey fat skimmed from the chilled stock; top up with unsalted butter if short
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup defatted turkey pan drippings whisked in on the day, optional but worth it
  • 1.5 tsp kosher salt to taste, depends on your broth
  • 0.75 tsp black pepper freshly ground, to taste

Equipment

  • 1 large roasting pan heavy, oven-safe to 450 F
  • 1 heavy-bottomed saucepan 3 to 4 quart
  • 1 large stockpot 6 quart or larger
  • 1 balloon whisk
  • 1 fine mesh sieve
  • 1 fat separator or a wide bowl and a ladle

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Toss the turkey wings, drumsticks, neck, and giblets with the vegetable oil in a large roasting pan, then scatter in the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Spread everything in a single layer so it roasts rather than steams.
  2. Roast 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, turning the parts once at the halfway mark, until the meat and vegetables are deeply browned and a dark crust of fond has formed on the bottom of the pan. Browning here is where the color and flavor of your finished gravy comes from, so take it further than feels comfortable.
  3. Transfer the roasted parts and vegetables to a large stockpot. Set the roasting pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop, pour in the white wine, and scrape hard with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes until every bit of fond lifts and the wine reduces by half. Pour it all into the stockpot.
  4. Add the broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Bring to a bare simmer, then lower the heat so the surface barely trembles. Simmer uncovered about 1 hour 30 minutes, until reduced by roughly half to about 5 cups. Skim any gray foam in the first 15 minutes.
  5. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing lightly on the solids to get the last of the liquid, then discard the solids. Cool, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight so the fat sets into a solid cap on top.
  6. Lift off the solid fat and reserve it. Measure 6 tablespoons; if you fall short, make up the difference with unsalted butter. You should have about 5 cups of defatted stock. Warm the stock in a saucepan until steaming but not boiling, and keep it warm beside the stove.
  7. Heat the reserved turkey fat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, 2 to 4 minutes, until the roux smells nutty and turns the color of honey to light golden brown. Do not let it scorch.
  8. Add the warm stock in a thin, steady stream, whisking hard the whole time. Start with just a cup to make a smooth paste, then pour in the rest. The warm-stock-into-cooked-roux order is what keeps it lump-free.
  9. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 10 minutes, whisking often, until the gravy thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with the salt and pepper, tasting as you go. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze in portions.
  10. On the day: scrape the cold gravy into a saucepan and bring it to a full rolling boil, whisking vigorously to bring it back together. Whisk in the defatted pan drippings from the roasted bird, simmer 2 minutes, taste once more for salt, and pour into a warmed gravy boat.

Notes

  • Serve hot in a warmed gravy boat over roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and buttermilk biscuits, with cranberry sauce on the side.
  • Refrigerate up to 3 days, or freeze in portions with 1/2 inch headspace for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
  • Reheat to a FULL boil and whisk hard. Gravy that looks thin or broken straight from the fridge is not ruined, it just needs heat and agitation to re-emulsify.
  • No lumps rule: warm stock, added in a thin stream, into a cooked roux. Cold stock into hot roux is where lumps come from.
  • For deep-fried or smoked turkey there are no drippings. Skip them, add an extra pinch of salt, and the stock carries the whole dish.
  • Optional finish: a splash of Cognac or dry sherry, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, or a teaspoon of chopped fresh sage.
  • Gluten-free: skip the roux and whisk 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water into the warm simmering stock.