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Best Gravy Ever

Alton Brown

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2008

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (13)

  • Cook Time:

    15 min

  • Level:

    Intermediate

  • Yield:

    10 to 12 servings

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Times:

Prep
10 min
Inactive Prep
--
Cook
15 min
Total:
25 min
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Ingredients

  • 1 Good Eats Roast Turkey, recipe follows
  • 24 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 8 ounces red wine
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme or rosemary
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Remove the turkey from the roasting pan and set aside to rest. Leave the drippings from the turkey in the pan and place the roasting pan over medium heat. Add the broth and wine at the same time. Whisk to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan until all of the bits have come loose. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes in order to reduce the mixture slightly. Transfer the liquid to a fat separator and let sit for 5 minutes to allow fat to separate. Return 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the fat to the roasting pan and place over medium-high heat. Discard any remaining fat. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture starts to thicken and become smooth, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Once this happens, gradually add the liquid back to the pan and whisk until smooth and you have reached your desired consistency, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Remember, your gravy should be slightly thin in the pan as it will thicken once you serve it. Add the herbs and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Good Eats Roast Turkey:

  • 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:

  • 1 gallon vegetable stock
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
  • 1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:

  • 1 red apple, quartered
  • 1/2 onion, quartered
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 sprigs rosemary
  • 6 leaves sage
  • Canola oil

2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 151 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

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Read more Comments & Reviews (13)

Comments & Reviews

  • recipe Best Gravy Ever
    Alice Juncos, PA 11-20-2009

    Flag

    Gravy Secret

    Rated: 3 stars out of 5
    The best gravy is made in the roasting pan where the turkey was baked. After removing the bird, try to remove as much of the... fat as possible from the pan, but leave all the good stuff at the bottom, because that's where the flavor is, Then place your roaster on the stove, evenly over 2 burners to distribute the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and wisk that around the pan with the remaining fat in the pan. Add about 2-4 cups of either turkey broth (that you made ahead of time) or chicken broth. Heat on high, wisking constantly to keep it from clumping up. NOW HERE'S THE SECRET: ADD 1/2 TSP. OF 'KITCHEN BOUQUET' to this mixture, stirring constantly. This will turn the color to a rich, deep brown, and bring out the natural flavors of the gravy. If needed, add another 1/2 tsp. if Kitchen Bouquet, but not too much as it's very concentrated. Keep stirring until it's a thick, rich mixture, without clumps. Kitchen Bouquet can be found in the spice isle of your grocery store near the sauces. Bon appetit!Read more
  • recipe Best Gravy Ever
    Lo Petaluma, CA 11-17-2009

    Flag

    Question about gravy

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I haven't made the turkey or the gravy before. I'm excited to try, but a bit confused about the process. In the show and... recipe for the turkey, Alton does it in a half-sheet pan, but for the gravy part, he shows using a roaster. How do you solve this dilemma? It seemed he said if you roast the turkey in a taller pan, it doesn't get as brown all over...any suggestions? Thanks Read more
  • recipe Best Gravy Ever
    Erika Knightdale, NC 11-17-2009

    Flag

    Cooking the Turkey to 151.

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    Last night on FN there was a Thanksgiving special that Alton hosted. On that show he cooked the turkey almost exactly the... same as on "Romancing the Bird" from 10 years ago. The differences being he did not use the foil turkey triangle and cooked the breast to 151. When he took it out of the oven he left the thermometer in, covered the turkey, and after about 15 minutes the thermometer read 160. So I am not sure if he cooked it lower because he didn't use the foil or if things have just changed over the past 10 years. Does anyone have any wisdom on the subject?Read more
  • recipe Best Gravy Ever
    Becky Baton Rouge, LA 10-29-2009

    Flag

    Great basic video!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    ANYONE can make gravy! Quit buying the jars and mix packets and make it yourself EASILY by following the directions in this... video. Shot glass optional.Read more
  • recipe Best Gravy Ever
    CHUCK Sunbury, OH 10-29-2009

    Flag

    Brined Turkey

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I've Fixed this turkey just like Alton said and I feed about 18 people every year and it's perfect...The best turkey I every... ate...and the 18 that I feed with this tasty bird love it to...This will be the 6th year. The temp rises in the bird when covered to right temp...and it's moist and done.Read more
  • recipe Best Gravy Ever
    Corey Hickory, NC 08-26-2009

    Flag

    This was the same as the turkey

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    The all said best they ever had. Its like a tie now between you emeril
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