Thanksgiving.
I've Got A Lot To Be Thankful For.
Actually, I've a private car or two. I've got carpet on the floors which I want it on, and hardwood and slate and tile on the floors where I don't. I never wanted caviar, and while I enjoy tacking a sailboat across a lake, I'd probably bore of much yachting, so who wants a yacht? Not me. :)
In addition to that, I do in fact bear a resemblance to old Bing (well, Irving Berlin, actually) in that:
------"I've got eyes to see with
Ears to hear with
Arms to hug with
Lips to kiss with
Someone to adore."
Problems coming up with gravy? Canned or bottled is unacceptable. It doesn't have to be hard.
Get a 3 to 4 quart sauce pan. Coarsely dice some onion and celery and crush some garlic in some butter in the pan, and saute it with the turkey neck and giblets until the onions and the meat begin to brown. Pour in a half cup of dry white wine and reduce. Pour in a can of broth, and reduce. While that's going on, pour off some of your turkey drippings out of the pan into a large tumbler, and decant the grease off the top. Discard the grease and keep the drippings underneath. Strain that into your sauce pan, and reduce some more. Be sure to fork that turkey neck to encourage the whole thing along. You will probably want to reduce a second can of broth before straining all the solids out, and then thicken with flour.
Afraid of lumps? Don't be! Just take a tall glass and a fork, and put a quarter-cup of water into it, and slowly add a couple of tablespoons of flour to the water while rapidly stirring it into the water, to make a consistent slurry, before slowly stirring it into the simmering gravy stock. Stir it in well, keeping in mind that it will thicken more after cooling. Keep stirring and simmering for at least 5 minutes to get rid of the slight pasty flavor. (15 is better, but you're probably busy. Use your eager young helper to stir, and demand that they not leave their post.) Salt and pepper to taste just before serving.
Voila! Homemade turkey gravy that you don't have to apologize to anyone over.
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Okay, friends: in 50 words or less, describe this year's turkey and dressing at your house. Baked, smoked, fried? Eggs in your dressing? Chestnuts? Do you call it "dressing" or "stuffing?" Oysters? Cornbread? Too much sage? Lemme hear your preference, and what you went with.
posted by Matt G @ 10:55 AM
10 Comments:
baked turkey, dressing with: bread crumbs, sage, onion, celery, chicken broth, butter, pork sausage, giblets
also had all the other fixins with it.
Daddy got hold of Oprah magazine this year. So our stuffing was whole wheat bread, nuts and bacon. It was AWESOME. Turkey? injected and grilled with a roasted pepper dressing.
Smoked Turkey, cornbread dressing, baked beef brisket, ham, green bean casserole, candied yams, egg gravy, assorted cakes and pies.
Roasted chicken, coated with olive oil and salt, on a bed of onions and rainbow carrots.
Stuffing. With sage from the garden and apples and onions.
Gravy, cranberry sauce
Apple pie with cheddar cheese.
Oh, yes.
Mongolian BBQ and Fried Rice count? Needless to say, I'm NOT in the States this year... sigh... That gravy made my mouth water!
Simple baked turkey, so moist the juice literally spewed from it when pierced by the fork. Cornbread dressing apparently perfectly seasoned as it was proclaimed my "best ever" and "as good as Mom's" by my father. (Homemade cornbread & biscuits, celery, onion, salt, pepper, sage and turkey drippings)
"Do you call it "dressing" or "stuffing?""
It depends on how it is cooked; it is stuffing when it goes inside a bird, dressing when fixed as a side dish outside the bird.
Turkey smoked with oak and pecan, dressing made of cornbread and just enough sage. Gravy with giblets and eggs. Squash casserole, green beans, mashed potatoes, and hot rolls. Iced tea, and both pumpkin and pecan pie for dessert. mmmmmm
I can personally attest to the great flavor of your gravy--and the speed with which it can be assembled. As you know, I am gravy challenged, so will save this recipe for future occasions when it might be needed before you can ride up to make it. And actually, I'm really enjoying my dressing with too much sage in it. It's yummy on my turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and stuffed green olives sandwich with a little mayo. mmm-mmm.
Mom, your over-saged dressing was good, and I ate some yesterday, and today, and the day before yesterday, and will eat some tomorrow. The turkey we brought home is gone, as is the gravy.
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