Cook up that ‘bonus bag’ of giblets with onion, celery, turkey drippings, and some seasonings to make a deeply flavored gravy to grace your holiday feast.
Ingredients :
giblets from one turkey (including neck, liver, gizzard, heart)
½ onion quartered
2 ribs celery cut into 2-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
4 cups turkey drippings or stock, broth, or a combination
Rinse the uncooked giblets and place them in a saucepan with onions, celery, bay leaf, poultry seasonings, and turkey broth.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook covered for 1 hour.
If using turkey drippings, once the turkey has finished cooking, pour the drippings into a bowl or gravy separator. As it rests, it will separate into a layer of fat and a layer of drippings. Gently spoon the fat off of the drippings and set it aside to use in place of some of the butter in step 5. Use the drippings in place of (or along with) the broth.
Strain the giblet broth, reserving both the giblets and the broth. Remove any meat from the neck if desired, and discard the bones, celery, bay leaf, and onions. Finely chop the remaining giblets and the meat from the neck if using.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. If you have turkey fat from step 1, add it, then add enough butter to make a total of ¼ cup of fat. Stir in the flour and cook for about 3 minutes, until it starts to lightly brown.
Gradually add the broth you cooked the giblets in and any turkey drippings, whisking after each addition until smooth (you may not need all of the broth). Stir in chopped giblets and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
