No brown bits for gravy

16 years ago

I like to roast a fresh turkey, but one problem is that I get so many juices in the bottom of the pan that I do not get any browned drippings to make more flavorful gravy. I wonder about just putting the neck in a pan to roast in the same oven as the bird and using any brown bits from any dripping from the neck.

How do others make a good turkey gravy when the bird has so many juices that drippings don't brown in the bottom of the roaster?

Right now, I just put the juices in a separator, cook the flour in a saucepan either in the fat from the separator or in butter, stir in the juices, and season with salt and pepper. It lookes like canned gravy!

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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

last month

Oops. Didn't spot the date. Just the post from Rita onwards

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Comments (11)

User
16 years ago
Put the pan back on a burner and simmer until the liquid is reduced and starts to brown. The fat will separate and you will be left with the fat and the brown bits. Make a roux and add your turkey or chicken stock.

Ann
vicki_lv
16 years ago
I have often roasted turkey wings the day before and used the drippings/brown bits for the gravy. I will find any way possible to make gravy...as I feel it should be considered a beverage. :)
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I've ONLY used a fresh, nat'l turkey for 25+ years (Huntsinger in So. Calif.) and I get tons of brown bits, so I'm confused how this would happen to you. I'm clarifying to you that my turkey NEVER has been injected with the "8-12%" salt solution, etc. as many are but buyers often neglect to see the fine print. My procedure is to Pam my roasting pan and rack, place the washed and cleaned/trimmed turkey on the rack and THEN proceed to season it all over, including the insides, along with a final sprinkling of paprika for color all over. Some of all of this, of course, falls to the bottom of the roasting pan. I then always cook breast-side down for first 45 min. @ 425 F. and then breast side up for the remaining time at 325F., rubbing it with softened butter just once during cooking. I also tilt the unstuffed bird just prior to removing it from the pan for any add'l drippings that were inside. I have TONS of brown bits in the pan + about 1/2" at least of dk. brown drippings. I then separate this, commence with the gravy makings in the same roasting pan and then add in at the right time the cup or two of turkey broth (+ chp'd giblets and neck bits) I cooked earlier with the giblets, neck, wing tips, onion and water that boiled for 1.5 hrs. The color is DARK brown with NO soy sauce or anything else added (sorry, DCarch). Delish.
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stir_fryi SE Mich
16 years ago
My SIL made a farm fresh turkey this year. In my life, I have never seen so much liquid come out of turkey! I swear about a gallon!

All she did was heat the liquid in a pan on the stove to a boil and add a slurry of flour and water to thicken. It was good but not overly flavorful.
blizlady
16 years ago
I do the same as vicki. The night before Thanksgiving, I roasted a package of turkey wings that I bought along with the necks of the two turkeys we made the next day. I roasted them with carrots, onions and celery for a good hour and there were plenty brown bits in the pan, then I added half canned broth and half water just to cover. Then I simmered that on the stove for over an hour until I had a really flavorful stock to use for gravy the next day.
vicki_lv
16 years ago
That's exactly what I do Blizlady. Great gravy!
Rita
last month
I pour all the drippings into a jar and set it into the fridge and let it separate so when I'm ready to make gravy the fat is on top and the juices are ready to use as the gravy liquid.
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last month
last modified: last month
I'm wondering why you get so much liquid out of your turkey. Is it a frozen one? Could it be one of those injected with water to plump and increase the weight?

I put a few veg under the rack before roasting eg onion, carrot and some branches of rosemary or thyme or bay leaves. When making the gravy I put the pan on a high heat before adding the flour. Always comes out brown. For a deeper colour you can add some soy sauce or marmite. Beer or red wine deepen the colour too. Sometimes I use a gravy separator but usually I don't bother.
plllog
last month
I only buy premium turkeys. Naturally farmed, etc. They are naturally plump and juicy and do exude plenty of liquid, though the meat stays moist and tender. I always thought that was normal. Perhaps our turkeys are as different as our parsnips?
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
last month
I buy free range, organic turkeys, although we usually have goose at Christmas. The turkey's produce plenty of liquid but there is also no lack of dark pan scrapings. The one doesn't preclude the other ime. I was just wondering if the OP's excess liquid was due to added water rather than natural juices. And hence the lack of browning.
plllog
last month
Okay. I think I'm missing something, but the OP was 16 tears ago...

No brown bits for gravy

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK

Comments (11)

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vicki_lv

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