Turkey Giblet Gravy

The bag inside the turkey is not rubbish, it is a free litre of the best gravy you will make all year. Brown the neck properly, keep the liver out of the pot, and chop the cooked giblets fine so they melt into the finished sauce. Make the stock a day or two ahead and Christmas morning gets a lot calmer.

Ingredients

Makes about 1 litre, enough for ten Christmas plates

• 1 set turkey giblets neck, heart and gizzard, liver set aside
• 2 turkey wing tips optional, they add body
• 1 tbsp goose fat or butter
• 1 large onion roughly chopped
• 1 carrot
• 1 stick celery
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1.5 litres (2.5 pints) cold water
• 40g (1.5oz) butter
• 40g (1.5oz) plain flour
• roasting juices from the turkey however much you have
• salt and black pepper

Kit

• Heavy frying pan
• Large saucepan
• Sieve
• Sharp knife
• Whisk

Method

1. Chop the neck into 3cm lengths with a heavy knife or ask the butcher to do it. Heat the goose fat in a frying pan and brown the neck pieces, heart, gizzard and wing tips hard for 8 to 10 minutes until they are properly coloured. The heart and gizzard are dense muscle and they want a real sear.

2. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook another 5 minutes until the onion edges catch, then tip the lot into a saucepan.

3. Splash a little water into the frying pan and scrape up the brown bits, then add that to the saucepan along with 1.5 litres of cold water.

4. Bring to a slow simmer, skim the foam, add the thyme and bay and cook at a bare tremble for 2 hours. Never let it boil, since a giblet stock turns muddy and slightly livery if you do.

5. Lift out the heart and gizzard after the first hour, before they go tough. Let them cool, trim the gizzard of any silvery membrane and chop both very finely. Set aside.

6. Strain the stock, which should give you around a litre. Chill it if you are making ahead, or use it straight away.

7. On the day, lift the turkey out to rest and pour the tin juices into a jug. Let the fat rise for 5 minutes and spoon most of it off, keeping about 3 tablespoons.

8. Make a roux with the butter and flour in the roasting tin over two burners, cooking for 2 minutes while you scrape the bottom. Whisk in the hot giblet stock and the defatted roasting juices, simmer for 6 minutes until smooth and glossy, then stir the chopped giblets back in. Season well and serve.

Tips worth knowing

• Leave the liver out of the stock pot. It turns everything bitter and grainy. Fry it separately in butter, chop it and stir it into the stuffing instead.
• Make the giblet stock up to three days ahead, or freeze it in November. On Christmas Day all you are doing is a roux and a whisk.
• Chop the giblets much finer than feels necessary. You want texture in the gravy, not lumps people pick out.
• If your turkey came without giblets, ask the butcher for a couple of turkey wings and use those instead. Same job, more meat.

Keeping and reheating

The giblet stock keeps three days chilled and three months frozen. Finished gravy keeps two days in the fridge and reheats well in a pan with a splash of water.

Questions people ask