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.)