I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I don't know if any of you are going to brave the crowds and actually be at the stores at 4:00AM, but I can tell you that I will not be one of them. I got roped into that several years ago and I vowed never to do it again. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pictures and have a terrific weekend...
courtesy of... pyzam.com
I hear there was a movie with a similar title... courtesy of... icanhascheezburger.com
This is the last in my series of Thanksgiving Day posts, so I hope the previous articles have given you some new ideas to try. The following gravy is flavored with the dripping from your turkey and is not made from the giblets. I hope you all have a terrific Thanksgiving.
What you will need...
Turkey drippings
Flour
Butter...unsalted, please
Cardamom...To taste
Salt or 1-Chicken Bouillon Cube (crushed)...To taste
Pepper...To taste
For adding the flour and the butter (making the roux), I use a 1:1:1 ratio...1 Tbsp of butter to 1 Tbsp of flour to 1 Cup of liquid. I will be writing this recipe to accommodate 3 Cups of turkey drippings...
Putting it together...
Try and separate the fat from the turkey drippings
In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt 3 Tbsp butter
Once melted, add 3 Tbsp of flour and whisk to combine
Now is decision time. How dark do you want your gravy, because the longer you stay at this step, the darker your gravy will be. I like my gravy to be somewhat lighter, so I will whisk over medium heat for about 5 minutes. If you want your gravy darker, keep whisking. For a very dark gravy, as in a gumbo, you will be at this step for about twenty minutes
Once you reach your desired color, slowly add the 3 cups of turkey drippings; whisking constantly
add salt or crushed bouillon, pepper, and cardamom (cardamom has a rather strong flavor, so I like to start with this small amount and continue adding until I reach the desired flavor...start with a ½ tsp
Continue adding the pepper and cardamom, until you are happy with the flavor.
Continue whisking until the gravy boils (This is when it will reach its full thickening potential)
You should end up with a very tasty, lump-free gravy
If you need to delay service, take some plastic wrap and set it directly on top of the gravy. This will help prevent that wonderful "skin" from forming
Troubleshooting...
Gravy seems to be "missing something"...I usually crush a chicken bouillon cube and add it to the gravy. This seems to correct the problem. If not, try adding some chicken stock or experiment with a little crushed sage or a very tiny amount of mace. If the gravy has too strong of a turkey flavor, you might want to dilute it with water or, if you don't mind a white gravy, add milk or cream.
Gravy is not thick enough...In a separate bowl, spoon-in about a half cup of your gravy and whisk an additional Tbsp of flour. Once well incorporated and no lumps visible, add it back into the main gravy and whisk well. Bring to a boil. If this does not thicken it to your liking, grab a bowl and place a tablespoon of flour in it. Then, take some of your hot gravy and mix it with the flour (if you add the flour directly into your gravy, you will get lumps, so we take this extra step). Once the flour is fully incorporated, mix it in with your gravy. Repeat until you get the your desired consistency.
Something else you might want to try...
Replace the cardamom with a spice called Grains of Paradise
This is how I've been preparing our turkey for the past several years. It comes out very moist (thanks to the turkey bag) and the aromatics really give the turkey an added boost.
As an aside, even though it has never happened, I always have the fear that our turkey will turn out like the one an Christmas Vacation. Anyone else have this fear?
What you will need
Turkey...any size, we usually get between 20-25 lbs.
Turkey bag...used in the baking process
Turkey Pan
Broiler Pan
Meat Thermometer (Example of the kind I use, is at bottom of page).
Flour...1 Tbsp
Compound Butter...Click here for recipe
Oranges...2-3
Onions...any leftover from other recipes
Celery...any leftover from other recipes
Herbs...any leftover from other recipes
Cooking the Bird
First remove the surprise packages in the neck and the body cavity
Rinse the bird inside and out
Remove the pop-up thermometer
These things are set to pop at 1850. Your bird will continue to cook while resting and the final internal temperature will be around 1950 or more. This will give you a turkey that is less moist than I prefer. I use my own thermometer and remove the turkey at about 1600 to 1700, which will give you a nice, moist turkey that is also well-cooked (final temperature around 1700 to 1800).
Take the Turkey bag and put the flour inside it, then shake to coat the bag
Work your fingers between the skin and the breast on both sides...making a cavity
Take the compound butter, slice it, and insert in the cavities you created
Once the cavities are filled, cut the oranges in half and squeeze juice over the turkey
Place used oranges inside the body cavity
Place a few slices of your compound butter inside
Place any extra herbs, onions, celery, etc, inside the body cavity
These are used ONLY as aromatics and are NOT to be eaten
These additions will help flavor the turkey as it bakes
Place turkey pan on broiler pan (I never trust those turkey pans to be able to hold the weight of a turkey)
Place the bird in the turkey bag, use the supplied tie to close the bag
Cut a few slits in the bag, and place on pan
Insert thermometer, through the bag, into the thickest portion of the bird
Place the turkey in the oven and cook according to the directions
When the thermometer reaches 1650- 1700 remove the turkey and let rest at least 30 minutes
Your turkey will continue to cook and carry-over will continue to raise the temperature an additional 10 degrees
Remove the aromatics and discard
It will looked burned where the compound butter was placed, but believe me, it isn't
Cover with foil and let rest for 30 minutes (I'm sure you will be able to find something to do while the turkey rests)
You should end up with a nice, moist turkey with a great flavor
Here is a thermometer like the one I use. Very good and versatile...
