Here in North America we pour gravy over the meat during Christmas and Thanksgiving. Gravy gives the life back to cooked and roasted foods. Hungarian food is flavorful already so carved meats are served with an au juice called rozsdás lé.
Gravy is a sauce made from the juices that run during roasting large pieces of meat. For extra gravy, it is useful to roast turkey giblets in a small pan beside the turkey. For added flavour use the potato water and the liquid vegetables were cooked in, excluding the yams and beets. These would overwhelm the gravy with both flavour and colour. If pan juices have a thick layer of fat, discard some of it but leave enough for flavour and texture. Gravy maybe thickened with flour or cornstarch. Mushroom gravy is a variety of gravy made with mushrooms. Onion gravy is from slowly sweated, chopped onions. Gravy does not have to be brown. Gravy thickeners are useful in a pinch but you can run into problems if you don’t read the instruction. I think it is just as easy to make gravy from scratch. Like everything else, it also tastes better.
TURKEY GRAVY
turkey juices
turkey fat
crispy bits from the bird
potato water
various vegetable waters [not yam or beet]
2-3 Tbsp flour or cornstarch
cold water to make loose paste with thickener
onions or mushrooms sautéed in butter – these are optional
- The turkey is resting under aluminum foil. The dressing is in the oven. Time to make the gravy.
- With a large serving spoon, remove most of the fat from the turkey juices. Leave some though.
- Using oven mitts pour the turkey juices into a pot for the gravy.
- Add all the reserved cooking liquids from the potatoes and the vegetables. [omit beets and yams]
- To thicken gravy with flour or cornstarch, combine a couple of tablespoons with COLD water. The mixture should not be lumpy or too thick.
- Then gradually stir it into the hot turkey juice.
- Slow simmer the gravy to the desired thickness.
- When the gravy is ready, pour it through a fine sieve into a spouted bowl or an extra large measuring cup.
- Add the sautéed onions or mushrooms if using. Give it a stir.
- Transfer gravy to serving bowls or pitchers.
- The gravy boat is just for show, it barely holds enough gravy for a couple of servings.
