For the Best-Tasting Gravy, Make It Ahead of Time

I’ve been cooking my family’s Thanksgiving feasts for 30-odd years. There’s one bit of advice I wish I could give to my 13-year-old self when I was just starting out: focus on the gravy. 

Thanksgiving in our family (or any meal, really) is going to be chaotic. I’ll be juggling the massive bird, crafting a vegetarian entrée for my picky husband, keeping multiple side dishes warm, and dealing with my chatty relatives who insist upon hovering in the kitchen. It’s a lot to oversee and sometimes a few things get overlooked, but as long as I nail the gravy, I know everything will be just fine. 

That’s because great gravy can hide a myriad of cooking sins. Absolutely no one complains of lumps in my mashed potatoes, dry turkey, or lukewarm stuffing when there’s a boat full of my piping-hot turkey gravy being passed around. 

My gravy adds moisture, an umami bomb of flavor, and warmth to every food it decorates. It’s also an easy do-ahead recipe that I can make days (or even months) before the big day.

Start With a Rich Turkey Broth

The secret to great gravy is not in the pan drippings. In fact, you don’t need to wrangle with the greasy roasting pan at all with my recipe. I base my gravy on ultra-rich turkey broth that I make a few weeks ahead of time. 

For the best color and flavor, I roast turkey drumsticks or wings with aromatic vegetables and then simmer them in homemade chicken stock (or boxed chicken broth) to double down on the poultry flavor. The ratio of liquid to meat is quite low, just 6 1/2 cups of liquid to 3 pounds of turkey drumsticks. 

The resulting broth is so rich it turns into meat jelly once chilled. All that collagen is a surefire sign that the ensuing gravy will be awesome. The broth can be frozen for up to 3 months, so the next steps are at your leisure.  

Make It Ahead 

A few days before Thanksgiving, I make the gravy. It’s one of my favorite moments of the holidays, so I take my time and fuss, taste, season, and tinker with the gravy without any other distractions until it’s just right. 

I make a simple roux of butter and flour in my favorite saucepan with gently sloping sides called a saucier (it’s easier to get the whisk into the edges and keep everything smooth) and gradually whisk in the turkey broth.  

After the gravy has simmered for about 20 minutes and has become luxuriously velvety and thick, I add Maggi Seasoning to taste. It’s a trick my mom has been using for her gravy for decades (well before I took the helm in the kitchen) to give turkey gravy a deeper brown color and umami-rich, lovage-infused flavor that screams Thanksgiving. Soy sauce will do in a pinch. 

To streamline the big day even further, I store the finished gravy in my large, microwave-safe gravy boat so that all I have to do is pop it in the microwave to reheat right before we eat. As long as the gravy is good and hot, I can relax knowing the meal will be delicious.

Thanksgiving Essentials

• The Best Pecan Pie
• Perfect Mashed Potatoes
• Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
• Cranberry Sauce
  

Roast the turkey and vegetables:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the turkey drumsticks and/or wings, carrots, celery, garlic, and thyme with the oil in a large (9x13-inch) roasting pan. Bake, stirring once, until the drumsticks are golden brown and the vegetables are caramelized in places, about 1 hour.

Make the broth:

Transfer the contents of the pan to a large soup pot. Add the bay leaf, onion, chicken broth, and 2 cups of cold water to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. 

Meanwhile, place the roasting pan over medium heat and add the wine. Bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a spatula, and cook until reduced by about half, about 4 minutes. Pour the wine mixture into the soup pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently until the broth is richly flavored and has reduced to about 5 cups, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Strain the stock and chill:

Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the broth through the sieve. Reserve the turkey meat for another use and discard the vegetables. Refrigerate the broth, uncovered, until thoroughly chilled, 8 to 24 hours. 

Discard the fat that has settled on top of the broth. 

Make the gravy:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the turkey broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickly coats the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. 

Add the Maggi seasoning (starting with 1 teaspoon), salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings; the gravy should be intensely savory and the thickness of heavy cream.

Reheat the gravy:

When ready to use, microwave the gravy in the gravy boat on high heat, stirring once, until piping hot. Alternatively, reheat the gravy over low heat in a small saucepan, whisking occasionally, until very hot. Serve immediately.

Store leftover gravy in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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