One of the tricks I have learned over the years to making an amazing Thanksgiving spread is to do whatever you can ahead of time. Whether that is making a whole recipe, or part of a recipe, it helps so much to make the cooking on Thanksgiving day go more smoothly.
I have been making this make ahead gravy for probably 15 years, and it is SO tasty. You will never want jar gravy again after you make this. It is really pretty easy to make, it just takes some time. You can make this up to a week ahead and store it in your fridge or freezer depending on how early you make it, then just thaw the night before in the fridge and reheat when you are ready to use.
This gravy starts with roasting some turkey or chicken wings (I often use chicken when they are cheaper and you really can’t tell much difference in the taste), along with aromatics like garlic, celery, carrot and onion as well as some thyme. The pan is deglazed with white wine and then the mixture is reduced in stock until you have an intensely flavored reduction. I love this gravy and I know you will to if you try it.
Make Ahead Gravy
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 2 onions peeled and cut in half
- 2 carrots cut into a few large pieces
- 4 celery ribs cut into large pieces
- 1 head garlic root end removed, no need to peel
- 1.5 lbs turkey or chicken wings
- salt and pepper
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 4 tbsp butter
- 6 tbsp AP flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tbsp water – for extra thickening if needed – you won't use all of this
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425. In a large dutch oven, combine the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and chicken wings. Drizzle with a few tbsp of oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well. Place in the oven uncovered and roast for 1 hour until golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and pour in the wine over a burner on medium heat. Use a spoon to stir and cook, scraping up all the good browned bits from the pan. Add the broth and stir, then return to the oven for another 45 minutes.
- Remove the wings and strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, pressing on the vegetables to release all the liquid.
- In a large sauce pan, heat the butter over medium until melted, then whisk in the flour. Slowly whisk in the broth to avoid lumps, a little at a time. Bring to a simmer to allow it to thicken. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. At this point you can either reduce to low heat and simmer until it is your desired thickness, or you can stop here and cool and store it and then you can thicken it more if needed before serving with cornstarch/water mix, which is what I do.
- Cool the gravy and store in a clean container in the fridge up to 3 days or in the freezer much longer. If frozen, defrost in the fridge the day before thanksgiving. When ready to use, reheat in a sauce pan on the stove until simmering. If the gravy is too thin, mix the cornstarch and water well and add a small amount while whisking the gravy. Give it a minute to thicken, then add a little more as needed to your desired thickness. Remember, it will thicken further when cooling in your serving dish, so don't make it super thick in the pan. Enjoy!
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