Valeries Go To Gravy Recipes

VALERIE'S GRAVY FOR FRIED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a saucepan, add the turkey stock, turkey neck, gizzards, thyme, bay leaf and shallot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain out the solids. If a chunky gravy is desired, chop the gizzards and return them to the simmered stock in the saucepan. Keep warm.
• In a straight-sided saute pan, add the hot oil and flour and cook over medium-high to high heat until the mixture is light brown in color (for a dark gravy, cook the flour to a deeper brown color). Add 2 cups of the warm stock, whisking constantly, and cook until the gravy thickens and bubbles. Add more warm stock if a thinner consistency is desired. Reduce the heat to low and add salt and pepper to taste (this will depend on how salty the stock is). Add a squeeze of lemon juice and taste again for seasoning. Keep warm until ready to serve, adding more warm stock as needed.
• Just before serving, remove from the heat and swirl in the butter until melted. Pour into a gravy boat and serve.
• Let the turkey come to room temperature, then pat it dry thoroughly and season it generously with salt and pepper inside and out.
• Fill a countertop indoor turkey fryer with the indicated amount of oil according to the manufacturer's instructions (see Cook's Note) and heat to 400 degrees F. Carefully lower the turkey into the fryer and cook for 35 to 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh should register approximately 165 degrees F. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest 30 minutes before carving.

TURKEY ROULADE WITH CRANBERRY-CITRUS STUFFING AND CREAM GRAVY

Steps:

• For the stuffing: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lay the bread out on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake until slightly dried out, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, soak the dried cranberries in a bowl with the brown sugar, orange juice and all the citrus zests.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage and thyme and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onions, celery, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 12 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the bread, pour in the stock, and add the cranberry mixture; toss to coat. Let cool completely. Add the parsley, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper and mix thoroughly.
• For the roulade: Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lay the butterflied turkey breast skin-side-down on a plastic-wrap-lined work surface. Pound with a meat mallet to an even 1/2- to 3/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• Spread about 5 cups of the stuffing in a 1/2-inch layer over the breast, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Starting on a long side, tightly roll up the breast to enclose the stuffing. Tie and secure the roulade every 1 1/2 inches with kitchen twine.
• Butter a 3-quart baking dish and fill it with the remaining stuffing.
• Gently rub the softened butter all over the roulade; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 150 degrees F, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Thirty minutes before the roulade is done, add the stuffing to the oven.
• When the roulade is at temperature and the stuffing is hot, increase the oven temperature to 475 degrees F and cook for another 5 minutes, until both are golden brown. Transfer the roulade to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil and let stand 10 minutes.
• For the gravy: Melt the butter in the roasting pan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to form a paste. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the white wine and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Add the stock, sage and thyme; reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Remove the twine and cut the roulade into slices. Serve with the extra stuffing and the gravy on the side.

FENNEL AND CITRUS ROASTED TURKEY WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• For the turkey: Pat the turkey dry and let it stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 2.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grate the zest from the lemons and orange, then cut the citrus fruit in half and reserve. Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 1 tablespoon. Put the butter in a bowl and add the citrus zest, chopped fennel fronds, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and mix to combine thoroughly.
• Slide your hands between the breast and skin of the turkey to carefully loosen the skin. Use your fingers to loosen the skin over the drumsticks and thighs as well. Rub all but about 1 or 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture all over the turkey under the skin. Rub the remaining butter mixture over the surface of the turkey. Season the turkey all over with salt and pepper.
• Squeeze the juice from 1 of the reserved orange halves and 2 of the lemon halves into the bottom of a large roasting pan and then insert all of the citrus halves (including the juiced ones), the fennel quarters and half of the thyme into the cavity of the turkey. Tie the turkey legs together with twine. Add the stock and remaining thyme to the bottom of the pan with the citrus juices. Position a roasting rack in the roasting pan and put the turkey on the rack.
• Roast, rotating the pan halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees F, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (If the turkey and wing tips are browning too quickly, lightly cover with foil and remove in the final 30 minutes of cooking.) Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving.
• Using a ladle, carefully remove the pan juices from the bottom of the pan and pour into a fat-separating liquid measuring cup for the gravy. Allow to sit for 5 minutes so the fat rises to the top.
• For the gravy: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the thyme and shallots and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the flour and cook, whisking, until golden and nutty smelling, about 3 minutes. Add the Marsala wine and continue to whisk. Slowly pour in the stock and separated pan juices while mixing, making sure to incorporate the flour mixture as you go. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar if needed to balance any bitterness from the citrus. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to eat, then strain into a gravy boat.
• Carve the turkey and place on a large serving platter. Garnish with fennel fronds. Serve with hot gravy.

VALERIE'S SUNDAY GRAVY (MEAT SAUCE)

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE MEATBALLS:.
• Mix all ingredients together.
• Form into meatballs.
• Heat Canola oil in fry pan at medium.
• Fry meatballs on all sides. Do not overcook as you will continue to cook meatballs in sauce.
• Remove and set aside on some paper towels to absorb some of the fat.
• TO MAKE THE SAUCE:.
• Heat 2-Tbsp oil in large heavy pot over medium heat. Brown pork chops on both sides. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
• Remove from pan.
• Add sausages, brown on all sides and remove from pan.
• Drain most of fat from pot.
• Add garlic and cook for about 2-minutes. Do not burn !
• Add tomatoes with their juices to the pot (I put the tomatoes first in a blender and pulse about three times to break up the tomatoes).
• Add water, salt and pepper to taste.
• Add pork, sausages and basil and bring sauce to a simmer.
• Partially cover the pot and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-hours.
• After 2 hours, add the meatballs and cook for 30 minutes or so.
• Serve with pasta of choice.