Make Ahead Gravy

Three days left until the big Thanksgiving feast so let's talk about food stresses. For me, for many years, it was the gravy. I was taught that I need to take the turkey out of the roasting pan and keep it warm while I strain the boiling hot pan, de-glaze it with stock and scrape the good bits up from the bottom. Then pour it into a gravy separator to get off the layer of fat, then make a butter and flour mixture and whisk it in until the gravy thickens.

Just the thought of doing all that with pots and pans of food everywhere in my tiny kitchen is enough to give me anxiety. Not to mention that the magical fat separator never seems to work for me and I end up with greasy gravy.

There's also the amount of time all of this takes, which seems way longer to me in the kitchen as I picture my guests polishing off the cheese platter and contemplating ordering a pizza because they're starving.

Nope. Not doing any of this anymore. My guests now get make-ahead gravy and they love it. And I love it because it's done days ahead. Even longer if I've decided to make a nice big batch and freeze it. I use the classic herbs that normally go into the turkey so that the gravy tastes like it was made together. My secret ingredient Worcestershire sauce gives it that meaty, umami flavor and just a touch of cream makes it, well, creamy. So now you have 3 days to make the gravy instead of 10 minutes while the turkey sits around drying out. Doesn't that sound so much better? Enjoy and happy Thanksgiving!

Yield: 4 ServingsAuthor: Anita Schecter

Make Ahead Gravy

prep time: 10 minscook time: 10 minstotal time: 20 mins

Recipe for an easy make-ahead gravy that's perfect for Thanksgiving or anytime.

ingredients:

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 Shallot, peeled and finely diced

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 Cups low sodium chicken stock

2 Teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon heavy cream

1 Tablespoon chopped herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage)

Salt and black pepper to taste

instructions:

Melt the butter in a large saute pan and add the shallots. Cook for a few minutes, just until they become translucent.

On low heat, whisk in the flour until fully incorporated. Then slowly whisk in the chicken stock and continue cooking and whisking until it begins to thicken.

Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. You can choose to strain out the shallots or leave them in for a more rustic gravy. Allow it to cool completely and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for several months.

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