How to Make Traditional Giblet Gravy

Make your own giblet broth for this old favorite. This giblet gravy recipe assumes that you are going to roast a turkey or other bird - then the easiest way to make the gravy is in the roasting pan. This recipe yields about 4 cups.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• giblets
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
• 1 small red onion chopped
• 3/4 c. chopped celery
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• dry sherry to taste
• salt
• pepper

1. Take the turkey neck and giblets out of the turkey. You'll usually find them in a paper sack stuffed into the bird's body cavity.
2. Place the turkey neck and the giblets - except for the liver - in a medium saucepan. Cover with cold water to 2 inches above the giblets.
3. Add the onion, celery and parsley and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming the foam as it rises to the surface.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the saucepan and simmer for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
5. Add the liver and simmer for 20 more minutes.
6. Use a strainer to strain the broth and reserve - refrigerated if the turkey won't be done for an hour or more. Start the next step after you've removed the bird from the roasting pan.
7. Pour all the fat and other liquid from the roasting pan into a bowl. Save the pan - it will have browned bits on the bottom, which you'll want for your gravy. Set aside the poured-off liquid in the bowl until the fat rises to the top.
8. Skim the fat off the surface and discard, except for about 4 tbsp. Return these to the pan. Discard the remainder of what's in the bowl.
9. Place the roasting pan over medium heat and whisk in the flour.
10. Cook a few minutes, whisking constantly, until the flour is a nice golden brown color.
11. Remove the pan from the burner and slowly add the reserved turkey broth and sherry, stirring constantly.
12. Put the pan back on the burner and adjust the heat so that the mixture boils very gently. Stir constantly until the gravy thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
13. Season with salt and pepper, pour into a gravy boat and serve.

Tips & Warnings

• Start with just a splash of sherry (perhaps 2 tbsp.). You can always add more, but you can't add less!
• To splash the sherry out of the bottle, cover the bottle opening with your thumb, tip the bottle and then move your thumb just a little bit.