Sherried Portobello Mushroom Gravy

Pan of drippings from roast turkey breast
3/4 cup dry sherry
1 portobello mushroom, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 to 2 1/4 cups water
3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper

Remove the turkey breast from the roasting pan; set aside.

Place the pan and its drippings over medium-low heat. Stir in the sherry, scraping and deglazing the pan. Add the mushroom pieces, continuing to stir. As the sauce thickens, add the water, a little at a time, continuing to stir for 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch-water mixture, increase the heat to medium and stir until the gravy thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Yields 3 cups.

Perfect Gravy

If using giblets in your gravy, refer to the instructions below for preparation.

Remove the cooked turkey and roasting rack from the roasting pan. Pour the poultry drippings through a sieve into a container. Add 1 cup stock (poultry, meat or vegetable) to the roasting pan and stir until crusty brown bits are loosened. If you do not have homemade stock, substitute canned broth, but it is not as good. For example, if you are making turkey gravy, use chicken broth. Pour the deglazed liquid/stock into the container with the pan drippings. Let the mixture stand a few minutes until the fat rises to the top.

Skim and discard any fat that remains on top of the poultry drippings, reserving 3 to 4 tablespoons. Or alternatively, cook about 6 slices of bacon until crisp, and use the fat from the bacon.

Over medium heat, spoon the reserved fat into a 2-quart or larger saucepan. Using a whisk only (to prevent lumps), whisk an equal amount of flour into heated fat and continue to cook and stir until the flour turns golden. To produce a full flavored gravy, you must cook the flour in about an equal portion of fat until the flour has lost its raw taste (as you would a roux). A common problem is using too much flour, which decreases the flavor.

Gradually whisk in warm poultry drippings/stock mixture. Cook and stir until gravy boils and is slightly thick. Add finely chopped cooked giblets (as below). Remember the gravy will continue to thicken after it has been removed from the heat. A good rule is to use between 1 and 2 tablespoons of flour for each cup of liquid and then give the mixture time to thicken.

If you require more gravy, use a little melted butter and extra warmed poultry stock to increase the volume of the pan drippings.

For an extra rich gravy, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup cream. You can also add vegetables such cooked onion or mushrooms for variety.

Optional Ingredients
Fresh or dried herbs (use whatever you used to make your turkey)
3/4 cup or less wine or brandy

Preparation of Giblets
Giblets, wing tips, and neck
2 quarts cold water
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

While the turkey cooks, or the day before, cover giblets, wing tips and neck bones with water in a large pot. Add onion, celery and parsley. Simmer for 2 hours. Strain broth and reserve for gravy. Pick meat from neck and wing tips. Finely chop the giblets and meat.

Add to the gravy after liquid has been blended into the fat-flour mixture as described in the Perfect Gravy recipe.

Onion Gravy

3 cups water
1 envelope Lipton onion or beefy
    onion recipe soup mix
4 to 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour (depending
    on consistency desired)

In medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boil. Stir in Lipton onion recipe soup mix; simmer covered 10 minutes. Stir in flour blended with remaining water. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring constantly, until gravy is thickened, about 5 minutes. Makes about 3 cups gravy.

Microwave: In 1 1/2-quart casserole, heat 2 cups water at HIGH (100%) 5 minutes.

Stir in Lipton soup mix; heat, covered, 4 minutes. Add flour blended with remaining water. Heat, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes or until gravy is thickened.

Giblet Gravy

Makes about 2 cups

This is the sauce for anyone who prefers a rich, slightly sweet gravy with savory giblets for texture and body. The availability of pan drippings varies according to the size of the bird and other factors; for this recipe you should have 1/2 cup of drippings.

Turkey giblets and neck
1 medium onion, quartered
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water
Pan drippings
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

While turkey roasts, place giblets and neck in heavy 1 1/2-quart saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming scum from the top. Add vegetables and, if needed, a little additional water to cover them; return to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer; cook slowly for about 2 hours, until liquid has reduced to a rich stock. Strain, pressing stock from vegetables; discard vegetables. Reserve stock; you should have about 1 1/4 cups.

Chop giblets in small cubes; reserve. When turkey has completed roasting, remove it from the roasting pan, set roasting pan atop two burners, and over low heat add the 1/2 cup water to pan. Blend water with pan drippings, using a wooden spoon to stir mixture and loosen browned bits from bottom of pan; the water and pan drippings together should equal about 1 cup. Reserve this liquid.

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour; raise heat to medium and cook until flour mixture begins to turn golden brown (about 2 minutes). Stir in 1 cup of the reserved giblet stock and the reserved 1 cup of liquid from the roasting pan, stirring constantly until thickened. If mixture is too thick, whisk in additional turkey stock or, for a creamy gravy, add a little milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in giblets and serve hot with roast turkey.

Fresh Dill Gravy

1/4 pound butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk or water
1 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter and flour. Add water or milk. Cook into a soft gravy. Cook in one cup of salted water. Add to gravy and cook 2 or 3 minutes over low heat.

Cranberry Gravy

1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
Grated peel of 1 lemon
1 can whole cranberry jelly
Salt and pepper to taste

After turkey has been removed from pan, skim off as much fat as possible from drippings (an ice cube passed through the drippings will help to congeal the fat, facilitating the removal), leaving juices and brown bits. Add chicken broth, lemon juice and lemon peel. Cook over medium heat until bubbly hot. Add cranberry jelly to gravy, stirring until dissolved and thoroughly heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. This will not be a thick gravy, but it may be thickened slightly, if desired.

Pour into a warmed gravy boat to serve with turkey and dressing.

Cracked Pepper Gravy

Source: A Cowboy in the Kitchen

Cracked pepper is different from freshly ground pepper because the former is stronger in flavor and aroma. Grind them in a food processor or blender, only pulsing them once or twice just to crack them.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
5 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 teaspoons cracked pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When the foam goes down, whisk in the flour. Continually whisk until the flour cooks, becoming a fragrant light brown. Slowly add the milk, continuing to whisk to keep lumps from forming. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer gravy for 10 minutes to cook and reduce.

Serve hot.

Makes 3 cups.

Per 1/4 cup serving: 73 calories; 5 g fat (3 g saturated fat; 61 percent calories from fat); 5 g carbohydrates; 14 mg cholesterol; 220 mg sodium; 2 g protein; 0 g fiber