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Turkey Giblet Gravy

Very easy and mostly made ahead! *Note: if you start this when you start your turkey it will easily be fit into the rest of the meal preparation without having to stand over the stove after the turkey is already done.

What you need

  1. Neck and giblets from turkey
  2. Water
  3. 6 juniper berries
  4. 1 bay leaf
  5. 1 large pinch saffron threads
  6. 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  7. 1/2 tsp salt
  8. 1 stalk celery, broken in two
  9. 1 onion, peeled and quartered
  10. 1 clove garlic, unpeeled, cut in half
  11. 2 tbl olive oil
  12. 2 tbl besan or other flour
  13. Turkey pan drippings

How to make it

  1. In a medium pot lay turkey neck and giblets
  2. Cover with water plus about 1/2 inch (maybe two cups)
  3. Add juniper berries, bay leaf, saffron, thyme, celery and onion and 1/2 tsp salt
  4. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer - cook for 1 hour
  5. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature
  6. Remove neck and giblets and set aside - remove vegetables and herbs and discard
  7. (Optional) If desired, cut up heart, gizzard and liver into very small dice and pull meat off neck bones - reserve
  8. In a saucepan heat olive oil until very hot
  9. Add besan and whisk and cook about 1 - 2 minutes
  10. Add giblet broth a ladel at a time, whisking constantly to remove all lumps
  11. When broth is about half added, you can incorporate the remainder safely at one time
  12. Whisk well and heat over medium heat until bubbly and thickened
  13. If you are using the giblets/neck meat, add it now and turn off heat
  14. When turkey is removed from the roasting pan, pour pan drippings into a fat separator**
  15. Add juices (without fat) to the gravy and heat until incorporated and to desired temperature

*A fat separator is a container that has a spout that begins at the base allowing the juices to be poured off, while the fat remains on top. They are readily available at kitchen supply store as well as most large supermarkets.

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