I have been tempted to drink it straight from the dish
Many people like to save time and serve a store-brand gravy during Thanksgiving. Although this saves time, it does waste a perfect opportunity to use a couple parts of the turkey most people throw away. Not to mention homemade tastes so much better.
I have found that if the broth is already done, by the time the turkey has rested, the gravy is ready to serve without any extra waiting. For people who dislike giblets just omit the step adding them at the end.
Giblet Gravy
- Package of organs and turkey neck found inside the cavity
- Leftover vegetable parts after making stuffing
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup flour
- Drippings from the roasted turkey
- Salt/pepper
Cover the turkey neck and leftover vegetable matter in 6 cups of water in a large stock pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer skimming any foam for 30 minutes. Add the remaining turkey organs and cook stock another 45 minutes. Strain stock into a bowl reserving the cooked organs. Set the cooked neck aside to enjoy as a treat while cooking everything else. Mince the cooked organs as small as possible and set aside in the refrigerator. After turkey is done, strain pan drippings into a bowl. Spoon three tablespoons of fat into a sauce pan from the top of the drippings. Scoop the rest of the fat out of drippings and discard. Add butter to fat in pan and bring to heat. Add flour and stir constantly until roux turns deep golden brown. Add the stock and one cup drippings to roux and whisk heavily to eliminate lumps. Cook until gravy begins to thicken, about 12 minutes. Add giblets and cook until heated through. The gravy can then be kept on very low heat until turkey is ready to serve.
A little gravy wisdom from The Simpsons: Courtesy of IMDB, this is Katherine’s all-time favorite food-related exchange, and there are so many, from The Simpsons. The episode is from 1997 and Homer is at the doctor’s.
Dr. Hibbert: Well, your cholesterol level is lethally high, Homer, but I’m more concerned about your gravy level.
Homer Simpson: Now, wait a second. You doctors have been telling us to drink eight glasses of gravy a day!
Dr. Hibbert: [laughs] Well, you’re a little confused.
Homer Simpson: Oh, confused, would we?
We couldn’t find that clip, but here’s another take on the secrets to gravy:
Rufus' Food and Spirits Guide 
Awesome clip! Mike makes gravy the same way. Good stuff. 🙂 I think he might be tempted to drink it from the glass too.
Wonderful recipe! Giblets are a shame to waste, I love using them.
I love home made gravy !
Simpsons and gravy. You are a genius.
Making a well in mashed potatoes and filling it with gravy is one of my favorite parts of holiday eating. Have forwarded the method to the Thanksgiving hosts and hope they are not offended.
Eeek giblet gravy!!
Love the clip! And I have an extra straw over here – perfect for some gravy drinking.
Hilarious! This is how my parents taught me to make gravy… I love adding the giblets at the end:)
I second Kristry..this is really tempting to drink
Honestly I can drink this like a juice, I love gravies, I remember when I was in the Philippines I used to pour it over my rice when I order chicken.
Sounds delicious. You should also look at Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Turkey Gravy in the Christmas edition of “Jamie” on line. He adds star anise to the gravy which is fantastic. I make bags of it and freeze it.
Oh wow that sounds delicious.
De-li-cious! Can’t beat homemade gravy!
🙂 Mandy
Heh, I’d always assumed gravy was the same the world over – didn’t realise that American stuff is different to English stuff. English is very dark brown and clear – American seems much more pale and opaque… who’d-a-thunk-it?
Yes, don’t buy gravy in a jar.
Ha-ha! Love the Simpsons take… your gravy looks silky smooth and I’ve never used the giblets before!
I keep hear an old tv commercial for gravy – maybe it was Hienz?
Announcer: So good, it’s just like homemade!
Old Man: Yeah, but where are the LUMPS?
Hubby’s in charge of gravy around here…mine is awful!
delicious, I will remember this at Christmas time.
This is the way I make turkey gravy – although didn’t this year. We aren’t huge gravy fans! Great post!
Love the clip … but gotta have gravy made from the bird of the day’s fixins …not the jar.
one of the best post a food blogger could do the week of thanksgiving- such a great step by step guide and I am a gravy lover so I was sure to take notes!
LOL…it’s just brown and water. classic.
I thought the reason gravy dishes had spouts like the one in your pic is to make it easier to pour in your mouth? I made a lentil soup once that turned out so thick it was gravy consistency. For my next vat of mashed potatoes I’m going to alter the recipe to make it more gravy-y. Gravy is so easy to make, vegetarian or not, that I’d personally be ashamed to walk into a store and buy a cup of it. What else would you do with all those lovely meat drippings?
I love giblet gravy but many guests do not. So, the meal’s gravy is giblet-free, the gravy I serve myself after they’ve all left is giblet-full. They don’t know what they are missing.
Love “proper” gravy could drink it out of the jug 🙂 Bridget Jones Diary…Bridget to Dad “Where´s Mum?” Dad “She´s in the kitchen sieving the gravy”!
Wise idea to use up the unwanted parts of the bird! I love Simpsons!
I am the WORST at making a good gravy. I can’t wait to try out your fool-proof recipe and sage advice. That gravy is perfection! Wish I had some here to pour over one of my biscuits I just made. Breakfast would be so much better.
Storebought gravy really scares me. Like ACTUALLY scares me. I wonder what is really in there…but have never even dared look. Great post, as usual!
I wonder if the husband will allow me to grab the giblets and cut them up for th gravy. He likes to eat some of them before giving the rest to the dog.
Say no to store-bought! Well, and lumps. This gravy sounds delicious!
No store bought or prepackaged gravy for us! I make my own, lump free too. However, I do not use the giblets, I cook them up as a holiday feast for our furbabies!
Bought gravy? Pah! Home made any day.
Great minds, I’ve been making gravy from the turkey bits for years! Instead of flour as a thickener, I usually add a parsnip and carrot or two into the pot to cook and then purée with the gravy – adds flavour and saves on added carbs!
This gravy looks so good! Whenever I think of gravy pop-culture references, Bridget Jones’ mom and her neighbor arguing over gravy lumps comes to mind 🙂
For a second I imagined you chugging down a glass of gravy :o)
I’m so impressed you use the giblets!! My mother did, but I never followed that one. I think it had to do with seeing them when I was little and never letting that get out of my head! But regardless, I totally agree, homemade by far is better than the jar!!
Great post. I’ll tell one of my sisters to make that it looks good.
I always add the giblets back to the gravy, too, and the meat from the neck. Love giblet gravy!
My grandmother and mother is all about anon lumpy gravy. I can’t stand it either and I love your recipe. So southern.. and I know some people despise the word giblet.. but it has such amazing flavor
Not only does home made taste better – but it is healthier for you. No added chemical preservatives.
In the last couple years I’ve seen giblet gravies pop up more and more. I’ve never had giblet gravy or seen anybody do anything with the giblets but thow them away, so I’m tempted to give it a shot. Sounds like it’d give more flavor than adding extra brown to the water. 😀
Love homemade gravy! Great tips as always!
Ha ha! Brown and water 🙂
Organs *snigger*
Sorry – I am in stupid mood
Love gravy though.
You’re cracking me up. Just leave the organs out.
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