Thanksgiving Gravy

I'm adding this here so I don't have to keep the folded and faded piece of random paper I wrote it on some time ago. This makes enough to feed a lot of people--say, 15.

• 16 Tbsp turkey fat or butter (or some mixture)
• 16 Tbsp flour
• Chopped giblets and/or small bits of turkey or chicken meat
• 3 quarts turkey stock, chicken stock and/or water. This is best if heated to near boiling in the microwave. If that's not convenient, you can use it at room temperature. Only use it cold if you can't figure out any other way.
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• salt to taste.

The traditional way to make this is to heat the fat or butter (which has to melt) in a large pot. (The pot should hold at least 5 quarts.)

Sprinkle the flour and pepper into the melted fat but keep stirring all the time. Do not let this burn. You have to decide whether you like it to brown or not. You only must cook it long enough so the flour is no longer totally raw.

Add the giblets and/or bits of meat. Stir together.

Add the liquid stirring insistently to keep form forming lumps. (Warmer liquid means less lumps.)

Now all you do is stir until the mixture begins to boil. It will start to thicken. Use as much as another quart of warm stock if needed to thin. Boil a while to reduce the liquid if too thin. Remember it will thicken a little as it cools on the table.

Remove from the heat and add the salt at this point. It should be easy to add salt to taste. I can't give you an exact amount as much of the available poultry stock contains salt. Some more. Some less. It could be anywhere from needing no salt at all to needing a tablespoon. Taste first. Add some. Taste with a clean spoon and repeat until you get it the way you like it. (Note that gravy is typically a bit saltier than most foods since it is added to the other foods and supplies the salt for those foods as well. Think about how little salt goes into sliced turkey, dressing or mashed potatoes.)

Turkey or Chicken Stock

If you make your own stock, you avoid the problem with the stock being so salty that it changes the taste when you use it in your cooking. This works really well around Thanksgiving because you have that turkey carcass.

You are going to need some poultry. Here are some options for what you can use

• Option 1: The turkey carcass including bones, neck, skin and the remaining meat stuck to the bones. This is best if it is cooked. Either use it after you cook your turkey or use the raw turkey bones and roast them for a bit until somewhat done and, maybe, a little singed.Sometimes you can buy a package of turkey necks. These work great.
• Option 2: The turkey (or chicken) giblets including gizzard, heart and liver.
• Option 3: Chicken skin and bones. You might have used a whole chicken and cut off the breast meat or removed the bones from the thighs or legs. There's also that part I call the chicken hips. Its the part on the other end of the backbone from the ribs. The thigh bones attach to the side of it. Its not really that great fried so you can save some up that way.
• Option 4: Some chicken parts. I like to use some frozen chicken wing segments but breasts with bones or thighs/legs would work just as well.

Put the following in a big stock pot:

• Poultry (as described in the list above) 15 chicken wings or 4 thigh/leg combinations or one turkey carcass plus neck and giblets or similar amount.
• 2 carrots - broken
• 2 sticks of celery - broken
• 3 medium yellow onions - cut in quarters (other onions are acceptable)
• 18 whole peppercorns
• 3 tsp salt
• 8 cups water

Add a bit more water if needed to cover everything.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones. Turn off heat and let set for one hour.

Strain out the liquid. Store in jars or sealed plastic containers in the refrigerator. (You can freeze this if you pay attention to the container.)

Makes about 2 quarts plus whatever water you add to cover the vegetables and meat.