Turkey Giblet Gravy Recipe

Turkey Giblet Gravy Recipe

Leave the granules and powders on the shelf, and make yourself this delicious real Turkey Giblet Gravy for your Christmas Dinner.  It can easily and safely be done a day or two before, kept refrigerated, then reheated when needed.

It is impossible to be precise about quantities, as there are so many variables: how big your bird, and therefore your giblets, and how many people you are catering for,  how thick or thin do you like your gravy, and how strong?  Use this turkey giblet gravy recipe as a rough guide,  follow your own instincts, do plenty of tasting and you should be fine.

Giblets are the offal/variety meats of the turkey: the heart, gizzard, liver etc, and the neck.  Usually, at least here in the UK, the giblets will have already been removed from the turkey, placed in a bag and then returned to the cavity of the bird.  Many a tale has been told of the newbie Christmas cook who didn’t realise there was a plastic bag full of viscera that needed removing before roasting the turkey…

Turkey Giblet Gravy: ingredients

The giblets of the turkey, roughly chopped

One small to medium onion, peeled and roughly sliced

One small to medium carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

Garlic, if you like it: one or two cloves, peeled and sliced

One or two bayleaves

A few sprigs of robust herbs, such as rosemary or thyme

Enough boiling water to make the quantity of gravy you require

A very small amount of plain or olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cold Water Roux - A little plain flour mixed to a thin paste with cold water

Optional: white wine, sherry, marsala, port or another favourite liqueur

Turkey Giblet Gravy: method

Gently soften the onion, carrot and garlic (if using) in a little oil until they are developing golden brown colouration.  Remove from the pan, and reserve.  Add the giblets to the oil, and fry until they too develop a good colour.  Return the vegetables to the pan with the giblets, add the herbs and cover with boiling water.  Return to the boil, and then reduce to a simmer for at least two hours, tasting to see how the flavour develops.  Add your wine etc towards the end of the cooking time, to allow the alcohol to cook out without losing any delicate flavours.  I prefer to season toward the end as well, keeping the pepper taste fresher and giving you more control over saltiness.

Strain out the giblets, vegetables and herbs, return the gravy to the pan and add the Cold Water Roux, whisking well.  Allow at least ten minutes for the gravy to thicken and for the raw flour taste to “cook out”.   If you have over-thickened your gravy, simply add some boiling water.  If it is still too thin, add a little more roux and allow to cook out.  Remove any remaining lumps by straining before serving.

If you have made the gravy in advance, make sure it is thoroughly reheated just to boiling point, and then allow to simmer for a couple of minutes before serving.