Pan Drippings Gravy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Giblets (that came with your turkey)
• Neck bone (that came with your turkey)
• 4 cups water
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1/2 sprig of rosemary
• 2 sage leaves
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• Turkey drippings from roasting pan
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. 1
   In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the giblets and neck bone; sear on both sides for about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the water and add the bay leaf, rosemary, sage and thyme; give it a stir and bring the mixture to a simmer. Once the water begins to simmer, turn the heat down to low and cook for about 1 hour; be sure to skim the broth every so often and discard. Run the broth through a fine-mesh strainer and into a bowl. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of broth.
2. 2
   Remove the rack from your roasting pan and place the pan on your stove over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir the all-purpose flour into the drippings, being sure to scrape the bottom of the roasting pan, until it appears smooth and the flour cooks a bit, about 2 minutes. Pour the flour and dripping mixture into a saucepan (you can use the one from when you made the broth). Pour in the reserved broth and 1/2 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the broth has thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes. At this time, add any salt or pepper to taste. The drippings from the dry-brined turkey I made required absolutely no salt. If anything, I’d say it was a bit too salty. If yours is a little too salty, add squeeze of lemon to offset the saltiness. Another trick to take away the saltiness is to add a wedge of raw russet potato and simmer the gravy with the lid covered for about 10 minutes. Lastly, run the gravy through a strainer to remove any lumps. Serve warm.