Homemade Gravy: Don’t Be Scared

Friends, I literally have gotten requests for my gravy recipe from Australia, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Stockholm. I’m not kidding. Everyone who makes this gravy recipe loves it.

The secret is the onion. I know you may not like onion, but I promise you it works in this recipe. But you have to spend time with the onion. Finely chop it and stir it over medium heat in a stick of butter for about 20 minutes and it will reduce into glorious sweetness and depth of flavor.

A professional cookbook author once told me that all recipes lie. They tell you to spend five or ten minutes on onions. In reality, it takes at least twenty minutes on medium heat to get onions where you want them.

If you do that with this, then add the flour, you’ll have a wonderful Thanksgiving. You can find all my recipes here, including how I do a turkey brine and how I smoke a turkey and make turkey stock. You’ll also, shortly, find my turkey gumbo recipe.

Turkey gravy will not be super dark. It won’t be dark brown unless you cook the flour longer to make a darker roux.

But I promise you, you will love this gravy recipe. It is not hard. It provides a depth of flavor. It is perfect on turkey, mashed potatoes, and on leftover turkey sandwiches.

Homemade Gravy

Thanksgiving

INGREDIENTS

1 stick unsalted butter

1 medium sized sweet onion, finely chopped

1/4 c flour

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Defatted turkey drippings plus chicken stock to make 2 cups; heated (or jarred stock if needed). Be sure it is steaming hot.

1 tbs heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large (10 to 12-inch) pan, cook the butter and onions over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the onions brown. Take your time. See the note for making ahead of time.

2. Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisk well, then add the salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally. Add the hot stock mixture, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Add cream. Season, to taste, and serve.

NOTES

You can brown the onions the day before in the butter, then put them in a jar and put them in a fridge. Reheat in a skillet till bubbling on Thanksgiving Day before adding the flour.