Turkey Gravy for Mashed Potatoes
140kcal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup turkey fat and/or unsalted butter 113 g, skimmed from the drippings, topped up with butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 63 g
- 4 cups defatted turkey drippings plus low-sodium turkey or chicken broth 950 ml total, warmed
- 1 tsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp dried
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
Method
- Melt the turkey fat and/or butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it starts to bubble.
- Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Keep whisking and cook the roux for 3 to 5 minutes, until it smells nutty and turns light golden brown, like peanut butter.
- Slowly pour in about 1 cup of the warm drippings and broth while whisking hard. It will thicken into a paste. Add the rest 1 cup at a time, whisking smooth after each addition.
- Stir in the soy sauce, thyme and pepper. Simmer gently for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon.
- Taste, then add salt a pinch at a time. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve for extra-smooth gravy if you like, and serve hot over mashed potatoes.
Notes
No drippings? Use 1/2 cup unsalted butter and 4 cups low-sodium turkey broth. A teaspoon of bouillon paste adds roasted flavor.
Gravy thickens as it cools, so take it off the heat when it is slightly looser than you want.
Thickness guide per 1 cup liquid: 1 tbsp each fat and flour (thin), 2 tbsp (medium, this recipe), 3 tbsp (thick).
Store in the fridge up to 3 to 4 days or freeze 2 to 3 months. Reheat on the stove, whisking, until steaming and 165°F (74°C).
Nutrition is an estimate and varies with your drippings.