I started planning for this years Thanksgiving feast by asking all parties what three things they couldn’t live without for the big dinner. We skipped the green beans and yams this year, but there was a resounding call for gravy.

I’ve never made gravy. Ever. But I was determined not to go down the dry pouch/just add water route.

I found a “fool-proof gravy guide” online from The Splendid Table and I crossed my fingers. Honestly though, it was some of the best tasting gravy I’ve ever had. And it was a huge hit (especially with the dog). :)

Take a stalk of celery and half an onion and tear them into chunks (will be strained out anyway), add them to a medium pot. I got a turkey breast with wing tips instead of the whole bird, so I just trimmed off the wing meat and neck and threw them in; feel free to also add the giblets if you have them.

Pour in half a bottle of white wine (I used Aprilskloof Sauvignon Blanc), then add chicken broth to cover the solids. Simmer partially covered for 2-3 hours, adding water as necessary to keep the solids submerged.

Strain broth when turkey comes out of the oven and discard solids. Skim the fat from the turkey juices in the roasting pan, then set the pan over two burners on high heat. Start boiling down the pan juices, scraping up any browned bits (yummy!), then slowly add the strained broth, one cup at a time. Continue boiling and stirring until the broth reduces by about 1/4.

Take between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of broth and add ice cubes until chilled. Then add two tablespoons of flour and whisk well until there are no lumps. The liquid must be cold or the flour will form little lumps that will be impossible to incorporate no matter how much you whisk! Add the flour/broth slurry to the bubbling pan liquid and simmer (more whisking!) until gravy is smooth and thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. The leftover gravy will thicken considerably in the fridge, so you can make it ahead of time and reheat it if you like.

I brought the remainder of the turkey to work yesterday for lunch with some leftover gravy. Still delicious!