Gravy for the Masses

Bad gravy can ruin a good Thanksgiving meal. People who like gravy will know that eventually, it will touch nearly everything on the plate. This recipe is for anyone suffering in silence from weaksauce.

This recipe is from Fuel President Kelly Butler, who wrote a review for the ACC about Chava's in Soulard. Kelly is quite the amateur chef, having taken first place in the Mardi Gras Amateur Cookoff last year, and second place the year before that. Enjoy.

Thanksgiving Gravy

Got Turkey Neck?

If you do, Suzanne Somers may have the gadget for you! However, if you have the kind that you get from the meat department, you'll want to keep it!! It is the key to making the BEST gravy that you will ever pour over your Thanksgiving bird!

Makes: 4 cups gravy
1 turkey neck
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter or olive oil
12 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms- stemmed & sliced
1 Tablespoon dried Rosemary
4 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 cup white wine (Riesling)
2 celery stalks cut up
6 whole black pepper corns
8 Tablespoons flour
8 Tablespoons fat pan drippings from roasting turkey

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and rosemary and sauté until mushrooms begin to soften, about 3 minutes. (Can be made 3 hours ahead). Cover flour paste tightly. Let paste and mushrooms stand at room temperature.

Sauté chopped onion in butter or olive oil in a large pot. Wash turkey neck. Place in pot with onion. Add wine, chicken broth, celery and pepper corns. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 hours. Strain broth and reserve liquid. There should be 4 cups. If there is not, add a little canned chicken broth. Keep broth warm. Pick meat off neck bones and reserve meat. Throw away the other stuff.

In a saucepan heat turkey fat drippings until they start to bubble. Whisk in flour
paste and mushrooms. When this mixture starts to bubble, cook 4 minutes. Stir in reserved turkey broth. Continue stirring until gravy thickens. Mix in thyme and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper. Serve turkey with gravy. Gobble, gobble!