Can I really make my gravy a day ahead?

Answer:  Absolutely. 

Making a few things a day ahead can relieve
a lot of the stress we put ourselves through on
Thanksgiving day in the kitchen.


Thanksgiving 2011 will mark twelve years of using this gravy recipe.  It was clipped from Woman's Day magazine, November 16, 1999.   For the last few years, I've roasted a whole small bird on Wednesday so I get the drippings for the gravy and the extra breast meat is always in demand.  

If you follow the recipe below and want extra flavor, drain the fat off the pan drippings once the turkey is done on Thanksgiving and stir them into the heated gravy.

4 turkey wings (about 3 pounds)
2 medium onions -- peeled & quartered
1 cup water
8 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oven to 400 F. degrees. Have ready a large roasting pan.

2. Arrange wings in a single layer pan; scatter onions over top. Roast 1 1/4 hours until the wings are browned.

3. Put wings & onions in a 5 to 6 quart pot. Add water to roasting pan & stir to scrape up any brown bits on bottom. Add to pot. Add 6 cups broth(refrigerate remaining 2 cups), carrot & thyme. Bring to a boil reduce heat & simmer,uncovered, 1 1/2 hours.

4. Remove wings to cutting board. When cool, pull off skin & meat. Discard skin; save meat for another use.

5. Strain broth into a 3-quart saucepan, pressing vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard vegetables; skim fat off broth & discard. (If time permits,refrigerate broth overnight to make fat-skimming easier.)

6. Whisk flour into remaining 2 cups broth until blended & smooth.

7. Bring broth in pot to a gentle boil. Whisk in broth-flour mixture & boil 3 to 4 minutes to thicken gravy & remove floury taste. Stir in butter & pepper. Serve or pour into containers; refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.