Make Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipe - Butter Your Biscuit (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put butter in gravy? ›

Fats add tremendous flavor.

Butter, chicken fat, turkey, beef, pork, bacon, duck, goose…if it has fat, it'll add flavor. And that, Riene, will get you back on the gravy train. Now, go roast a chicken, save the drippings, and make some gravy! (We've heard biscuits to sop up all that gravy add a little extra flair too.)

Pour in defatted drippings (use only 2 tablespoons of those from dry-brined bird) and 2 cups stock; bring to a boil. Combine remaining 1/2 cup stock and cornstarch in a small jar, seal it, and shake to combine. Pour cornstarch mixture into boiling mixture in pan and boil until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

The Easiest Way: Reach for the Umami Bombs

These might seem like odd choices to include in gravy, but when used judiciously, they can seriously increase flavor, adding depth and savoriness. A quarter teaspoon of Marmite and a teaspoon of soy sauce for every quart of gravy is about the right amount.

I recommend real butter here if you don't have any dietary exceptions that prevent that. You could also use turkey fat here, but I prefer the flavor of the butter. If you're making any sort of bacon-wrapped meat, bacon grease works beautifully as a gravy starter as well.

If your gravy is on the skimpy side, you can thicken it quickly with flour or cornstarch. But don't add your thickener directly to the gravy, which will create lumps. Instead, try stirring in three or four tablespoons of flour or cornstarch into a small amount of cold water until you have a smooth paste.

Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.

You can use either stock or broth for keeping dressing moist or as a basis for gravy, but a strong flavor will give you better results.

Thus, turkey gravy is a brown gravy. You can also make brown gravy with the drippings from other kinds of meat, such as a roast or chicken. White gravy is made with milk, fat, and a thickening agent; white gravy is made without drippings, and with sausage added is popular for biscuits and gravy.

Why won t my turkey gravy thicken? ›

Cooking for too little time: As the gravy cooks, it slowly thickens, so if you don't allow it to cook long enough, it will be too thin. Set the stove on medium heat and bring your gravy to a boil before letting it simmer. Once the gravy has reached your desired consistency, turn off the stove and let the sauce cool.

Cook the gravy longer.

If the consistency of your gravy isn't what you want, try simmering the gravy a bit longer to help evaporate some of the liquids. If the gravy still hasn't thickened to your liking after about 10 minutes or so, it's now time to try a thickening agent.

Spruce up the gravy with a splash of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce (if the gravy isn't already too salty, that is). Mushrooms or mushroom seasoning also work wonders to add rich flavor to depth-less gravy.

If the gravy lacks oomph, adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. If you used canned stock instead of homemade, the gravy might not be as flavorful. Homemade stock, even made with chicken stock rather than turkey, will produce a superior gravy—so it's worth the effort.

Broken Gravy

If your gravy looks curdled or has an oily top layer, it's likely the emulsion of flour and fat that thickens the mixture has split or broken. Fix it by adding a splash of warm water or two and whisking vigorously to restore the balance of liquid and fat.

Butter does not provide any thickening to a sauce, since it is made of just fat and water. But a chunk of butter, salted or unsalted, swirled into a sauce at the end, can temporarily emulsify a sauce, while adding richness and sheen, all of which are good things.

Adding Butter To Tomato Sauce Brings A Balanced Richness

Sautéing the veggies in butter will help infuse the dairy product's rich flavor into the rest of the sauce. Once the veggies are sautéed, add in the tomatoes like you'd traditionally do, though you'll undoubtedly notice a difference in the final product.

The addition of butter helps to loosen and emulsify the sauce, making it smooth and creamy. Butter plays another pivotal role in jarred sauce. Because of the naturally high acidity of tomato sauce, I find that most store-bought tomato sauces tend to be way too abrasive and sharp-tasting.