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Make Ahead Turkey Gravy with Calvados (Apple Brandy)

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American, british
Keyword: Christmas, Thanksgiving
Servings: 8 cups
Author: Emily Clifton, adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb Butter, unsalted (2 sticks)
  • 1 cup Yellow or Spanish onion, finely chopped (approx 2 medium)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 8 cups Homemade turkey stock (or store-bought chicken stock)
  • 1/3 cup Calvados or apple brandy
  • 1/4 cup apple cider
  • 3/4 cup white wine
  • kosher salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

  • In a large pot, cook the butter and onions over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Don’t rush this step; it makes all the difference when the onions are well-cooked.
  • Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisk in, then add the salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Calvados and wine, stir and then add turkey stock and cook uncovered until thickened. It should be slightly thicker than your usual gravy would be.
  • Do not be surprised if the gravy looks a little pale at this stage. It gets a lot of color and richness from the deglazed turkey dripping you’ll add at the very end.
  • Let cool to room temperature and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 6 weeks.
  • If frozen, defrost in the fridge a day or two ahead. When ready to use, heat on a very low stove for as long as you can, stirring occasionally. I like to cook it for an hour or two so it gets really silky but this step is totally optional. You could just heat it until it’s hot.
  • When your turkey is done, deglaze the roasting pan with more wine and a 1/2 cup of stock. Strain into gravy (de-fat first, if needed), add the apple cider, check for seasoning and serve!

Notes

If you’re a maniac like us and want to get as much flavor as you can into your gravy, you could do this step: On Thanksgiving day, after you’ve removed the neck and giblets from the turkey, dry them well and brown them well in a pot with a little oil (skip the liver if present, it may add bitterness to the gravy). Once the pieces are very brown, add your gravy base and let it gently simmer as long as you can. Remove them before serving.
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