For many, Thanksgiving is a savory pool of hot golden gravy over moist turkey and a mound of freshly mashed potatoes.
But while traditional gravy, which is made by browning flour in the greasy drippings of the turkey, can add a satisfying richness to the plate, it also packs an unhealthy dose of saturated fat.
Luckily, it is easy to make great gravy without the fat. The secret is starting with a flavorful homemade giblet stock, combining it with defatted pan drippings, then thickening it with cornstarch.
The giblet stock can be made with the neck, gizzard and heart (discard the bitter tasting liver). Add turkey wings; they’re one of the fattiest parts of the turkey, but using them in the stock adds loads of flavor and you skim the fat away at the end.
Make the stock the day before the big meal so you have enough time to slowly simmer it, which will extract maximum flavor from the bones and giblets. This also leaves you time to chill the stock to make it easy to skim the fat from the surface.
Before roasting the turkey, remove any visible fat with a paring knife. When the turkey comes out of the oven, strain the drippings into a metal bowl, then chill them in the freezer. After about 15 minutes, it should be easy to remove fat.
For the stock:
Wings, neck, gizzard and heart (discard the liver) from turkey
2teaspoons olive oil
1large onion, chopped
2carrots, chopped
5cups reduced sodium, fat-free chicken broth
5sprigs parsley
1sprig fresh thyme
10black peppercorns
2cups water
For the turkey:
112- to 14-pound turkey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1carrot, coarsely chopped
1onion, quartered
1apple, quartered
Several sprigs fresh sage
Several sprigs fresh thyme
1/2cup apple cider, for basting
For the gravy:
1/3cup white wine or apple cider
3cups giblet stock (as prepared below)
3tablespoons cornstarch
1/4cup cold water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make the stock, the day before roasting the turkey use a large, heavy knife or cleaver to chop the turkey wings and neck into 2-inch chunks. Set aside.
In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the gizzard, heart, neck and wing pieces, onions and carrots. Cook, stirring often, until well browned, about 15 minutes.
Add the broth, parsley, thyme, peppercorns and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover the pan and gently simmer for 1 hour. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl (you should have about 3 cups of stock).
Chill the stock. When cold, skim the fat from the surface and discard. Chill until ready to make the gravy.
To roast the turkey, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place a lightly oiled rack in a large roasting pan.
Remove any visible fat from the turkey. Liberally season the cavity of the bird with salt and pepper. Place the carrot, onion, apple, sage and thyme in the turkey cavity. Tie the drumsticks together.
Season the outside of the turkey with salt and pepper. Set the turkey on the rack in the roasting pan. Roast the turkey, basting every 30 minutes with apple cider and pan juices, until golden brown, about 2 hours.
After 2 hours, cover with foil and continue roasting and basting until the turkey is done, about another hour. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees.
Transfer the turkey to a platter and tent loosely with foil. Let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. Do not clean the roasting pan.
Meanwhile, to make the gravy, strain the pan drippings though a mesh strainer into a cold metal bowl. Place the bowl in the freezer to chill.
Place the roasting pan over the stovetop, add wine or apple cider and cook over high heat, stirring and scraping up the brown bits, for 1 minute. Strain the liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan.
Add the defatted turkey stock (prepared above). Remove the chilled drippings from the freezer and skim away and discard the fat. Add the drippings to the saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Mix the cornstarch and cold water, then whisk into the simmering gravy. Return to a simmer, then season gravy with salt and pepper.
Makes 10 to 12 servings. Per 4-ounce serving of light and dark turkey plus 5 tablespoons of gravy: 203 calories; 5 g fat (1.5 g saturated); 95 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrate; 33 g protein; 0 g fiber; 75 mg sodium.
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