How to Make Giblet Gravy
Classic Giblet Gravy is iconic and a must-have on the Southern holiday table. If you aren’t familiar with the gravy, it’s prepared by using the fowl’s (turkey, chicken, etc.) offal, rather the heart, gizzard, and liver. The neck meat is often used as well in giblet gravy.
I don’t ever remember a Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday without it gracing our table. My mom didn’t cook that much growing up, but she sure knew how to make giblet gravy. She was an expert at it. The gravy makes all the difference in the taste of everything holiday.
Giblet gravy is relatively simple to make, and the flavor is out of this world. Simply remove the heart, gizzard, and liver and place in a medium pot with stock and water. Add the neck to the pot if spatchcocking the turkey or chicken. Lower to a simmer for a few hours, and then chop the meat into tiny pieces. That’s it for the giblet part of the recipe.
The rest of the preparation is pretty much the same way you make brown gravy. Melt butter, stir in flour, and continue to stir until it becomes thick. Then add drippings from the cooked turkey, or add some of the drained broth from water in which you boiled the giblets. Add a little milk to give the gravy that silky texture, and then add a few boiled eggs chopped very small. The chopped egg gives the gravy a nice color, texture, and flavor.
Pouring this gravy over mashed potatoes, turkey, chicken, or cornbread dressing brings a comfort like none other. For me, this is comfort food at its best!
I demonstrate how to make giblet gravy in this video from my Thanksgiving Feast series on the Outdoor Channel:
Giblet Gravy - Classic Version
Ingredients
- giblets from a whole turkey
- 4 cups chicken or turkey stock
- 2 cups water
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 large eggs, hardboiled and chopped
Instructions
- Bring giblets, turkey neck, stock, and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.
- Place a strainer over a bowl and drain the giblets. Transfer giblets to a cutting board and allow to cool. Remove the meat from the neck and chop all the meat from neck and the rest of giblets.
- Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in flour. Whisk continuously for 4-5 minutes. Slowly pour and whisk drippings from the turkey and 2 cups of remaining broth into the butter-flour mixture in the saucepan and boil for 3 minutes. Add the milk and continue stirring until mixture is thickened. Stir in chopped boiled eggs.
- Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
I use the same just add broth if I don’t have enough left from turkey. I chop onions an 1 can cream of chicken.
I love that idea Rosland!!!