Make Ahead Turkey Gravy
By: Angela LeMoine
Published: Friday, November 22, 2013 - 5:49am

Ingredients




2 Tbsp olive oil
4 shallots, fine dice
1 heaping Tbsp finely chopped rosemary
6 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup flour
8 cups turkey broth (you can use chicken if you can't find turkey)
1 Tbsp gravy master
{1/2 - 3/4 cup turkey drippings day of-oil separated and discarded}

Preparation

1 In a large saucepan, over low heat, add the olive oil, rosemary and shallots. Sauté until softened, season lightly with salt and pepper. Then add the butter and melt. 2 Whisk in the flour until well combined and smooth, cook for a minute or two. 3 Add in the broth slowly, continually whisking to prevent lumps, until well combined. Stir in the gravy master. Raise the heat to medium and allow the gray to come to a boil then reduce the heat back down to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir occasionally. 4 Cool completely before freezing or refrigerating. On the day of thanksgiving warm the gravy and add in 1/2 - 3/4 cup of the turkey drippings, with as much of the natural oil removed. Allow to simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.

About

I've hosted enough holiday gatherings to have learned a few things along the way. The biggest thing is to be organized, I am a big list person. Not just a grocery list, but a prep list and printed out menu so nothing gets forgotten. There is no reason you need to spend the entire holiday in the kitchen, that what the couple days before are for; well besides the turkey.
It is most definitely possible to make a delicious gravy before making the turkey. The trick here is to make it a little on the thicker side then when you are warming the day of you use some of those delicious turkey drippings to thin it out a bit and add that punch of flavor. I actually made this two days ago and froze the gravy in freezer bags.