Gram's Good Ole Turkey Gravy

Making gravy can sometimes be a challenge, especially when we only prepare it on special holiday occasions. To produce delicious, lump-free gravy for Thanksgiving dinner, here are a few Chef Alli tips, along with Grandma’s recipe, to ensure your success:


• Allow at least ½ cup gravy per person – more if you have several big-eaters coming for dinner. I usually double my gravy recipe, just to be sure plenty of gravy remains for leftovers – you can never have too much gravy!

• When making turkey gravy, I prefer to use cornstarch as my thickening agent, instead of flour, mostly because this is how my Grandma did it, and by using her exact recipe, it brings back a lot of childhood memories. Sauces and gravies made with cornstarch look rather “clear” in appearance, rather than opaque, and typically have a nice sheen, which is kind of nice for turkey gravy, in this humble chef’s opinion. I also think it’s unusual that Gram’s recipe calls for using milk to make the slurry, instead of water.

• To thicken gravy when using cornstarch, it’s usually best to make a “slurry first”. I make my slurry by whisking a small amount of water (usually ¼ - ½ cup is plenty) with 1 Tbs. cornstarch until smooth. The slurry is then added to the liquids (usually broth) and pan drippings that you want thickened to create your gravy. As a rule, you will need 1 Tbs. of cornstarch for every 2 cups of broth you are using to make your gravy. For a flavorful gravy, it helps to remember this: 1 Tbs. cornstarch (or flour) + 1 Tbs. drippings + 2 cups liquid. Just know that you will always be adjusting these measurements slightly, as you are whisking and thickening your gravy.

• Good tools are essential for creating good gravy – I recommend a silicone-coated FLAT whisk; this tool will allow you to get right up to the very edge of your pan so that you can whisk constantly for a nice, smooth, lump-free sauce or gravy – very important! Plus, you will need a nice, deep stainless steel (cast iron is even better!) skillet for preparing gravy – 12” is a good size.

Gram’s Recipe
Make giblet broth:
1 pkg. turkey giblets (this is the package that’s inside your turkey)
1 medium carrot, thickly sliced
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
1 medium celery rib, thickly sliced
1/ 2 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup whole milk
2 Tbs. cornstarch

In a 3 quart sauce pan over high heat, place reserved turkey giblets (these usually include the neck, heart, and gizzard) along with the vegetables, adding enough water to cover all. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low and simmer for approx. 1 hour, skimming any foam from the top. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and into a bowl, discarding solids. Cover and store in refrigeration until ready to use.

Place 2-3 Tbs. drippings from turkey roasting pan, into a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, combine 1 cup whole milk with 2 Tbs. cornstarch; whisk until smooth to make slurry. Whisk slurry into drippings, and bring mixture to a low boil. Simmer, whisking constantly, adding prepared broth as you go to achieve gravy consistency you desire. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

8-10 servings of gravy

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Thanksgiving – Remember the 3 D’s of Dinner!

On Thursday morn, I had the opportunity to spend a few minutes of TV time with Dave and Amanda on the WIBW Morning Show. With Turkey Day fast approaching, we discussed how much anxiety this can bring to Thanksgiving hostesses. Here's what I recommended to WIBW viewers:

The 3 D's of Thanksgiving Dinner
DON'T compare. Never compare your dinner to Grandma's or Mom's Thanksgiving dinner. They are most likely seasoned cooks and veteran hostesses who have hosted many holiday dinners. Remember that they have had years to refine their Thanksgiving preparations and presentations; when they first started out, they probably felt a little apprehensive and nervous, too. Have faith – you can do it!

DELEGATE! If you have volunteered to cook the turkey, feel free to assign ALL the Thanksgiving side dishes to your guests, including desserts. They are anxious to bring something to your dinner and are honored that you ask them to do so. If you have opened your home to host Thanksgiving and you are willing to be in charge of cooking the turkey, that's enough.

DO be a gracious hostess. As much as we might like to believe it is, the FOOD is not the most important element of Thanksgiving dinner – it's your GUESTS. As a gracious hostess, your job is to ensure that they have a good time while in your home. Even if you serve your guests frozen dinners on TV trays because you burned up the turkey, all is ok as long as they had enjoyable time as your guest. You have just created a very special holiday memory for them that they will never forget!

Watch for me on WIBW (and right here!) throughout this Thanksgiving season as I offer help and tips for making Thanksgiving dinner a positive experience in your kitchen!
Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Love At First Knife

Most good cooks know there are two must-haves for the kitchen: a good knife and a good saute pan; all the rest is fluff. When I make this statement in my cooking classes, I often see questioning looks on the faces of my students, most likely because a wide array of the latest and greatest culinary gadgets lies before me on the counter. And though I do use (and love) many of these tools, not a single one of them would be grabbed up in case of kitchen fire - I would be too busy seeking out my favorite knife and saute pan before running out the door.

And though I can truly appreciate a good saute pan, nothing separates me from my chef's knife. This "love of my life" has come to the rescue on many an onion, carrot and garlic clove, and these days I really need that. I am finding myself spending more and more time cooking at home, trying to stay ahead of the appetites of my two youngest sons, ages 12 and 14. It seems they eat constantly! Since I feel it's my duty as Chef-Mom to keep them well fed, I keep my chef's knife constantly chopping and slicing on their behalf, trying my best to keep their bellies full.

My family and friends all know that if you invite me into your kitchen to help you cook, I WILL be examining your inventory of kitchen tools, including a check of the knives in your utensil drawer or butcher block. I don't do this to belittle my friends and family like one may think - I just want to know how hard I'm going to have to work while I'm there. A dull knife is likely to ensure me of a trip to the E.R. for a few stitches and I want to know my odds going in. I also like to anticipate how much Ben Gay and ibuprofen I'm going to need the next day for my sore shoulders and arms – another treat a dull knife doles out.

Recently, I visited my sister-in-law and noticed she was slicing vegetables with a knife that looked like it had weathered countless tree branches and lots of baling twine. (This is why my knives are not accessible to my sons around our farm or I would have the same problem.) A good inch of the tip of her knife was broken off and I could visibly see how dull it was by the pressure she was exerting as she pressed through each vegetable onto her cutting board. (And yes, I was surprised she was using a cutting board – I didn't realize she even had one. But thankfully she wasn't cutting onions or I literally would have been crying in my beer from 20 feet!) Keep in mind this is not unusual in her kitchen as she spends ZERO on culinary tools, always assuring me that would be a total waste of her hard-earned money. Though she never says it, I know she feels the same about my wardrobe, so that makes us even: I wouldn't be caught dead with her knife in my hand and she wouldn't be caught dead wearing my clothes!

Using good, sharp chef's knife is comparable to riding in a Cadillac. Once you float over the road in a Cadillac, you wouldn't possibly consider riding in that sluggish little Volkswagen any longer. And so it goes with a dull knife. There's nothing worse, at least in this chef's opinion, so I'll leave you with this bit of corny culinary humor: BE SHARP and buy a good knife – you'll find there's no going back.

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli