Tag: Gravy

Seasoned Turkey Stock

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To limit waste after Thanksgiving, I like to use what is left of the turkey to make stock. Last year was my first time, and the frozen stock lasted me a year. Last year I didn’t flavor my stock before it was frozen, and it was a huge shame. This year I seasoned my stock with onion, celery, and garlic. These flavors go well with turkey, and can be used in a variety of dishes throughout the year. I purposely left out herbs because I want a very versatile stock. I also didn’t add salt to this stock, though I would need it if I were to make a soup with it, I didn’t want any future dishes to be too salty as a result of a salty stock. Otherwise this stock is straight forward. Boil, strain, then store.

Seasoned Turkey Stock Recipe CardDownload

What You Will Need

  • 1 Cooked Turkey with Meat removed
  • 1/2 Onion, quartered
  • 2 Celery Stalks, cut into 1/3s
  • 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and halved
  • Large Stock Pot and Lid
  • Ladle, Large Wooden Spoon, Small Bowl
  • Strainer
  • Large Dutch Oven
  • Freezer Containers

Directions

1. Place the turkey bones into the stock pot. Soak in water for 10 minutes. Drain. Cover bones with water, leaving about 1-2 inches until the lip of the pot. Place on stove over medium heat. Add in your cut veggies and let simmer uncovered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Every 10 minutes, skim off bubbles forming on surface and place in a small bowl on the side.

2. Once most bubbles have seemed to stopped settling on top, turn up the heat a little to bring the pot at a gently boil. Boil for 2 hours covered, then remove the lid and boil for another hour uncovered. Remove from heat and let cool for about 1 hour.

3. Once cooled, place your strainer on top of your dutch oven and place in your sink. Pour about 1/2 of the liquid and bones into the strainer. Shake your strainer, then discard what is in your strainer. Place the strainer back on top of the dutch oven, and pour the second half of the stock into the strainer. Shake and discard remaining bones. Use a ladle to transfer broth into freezer safe containers. Label then store.

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Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

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Mashed potatoes and gravy are a must in our house for any and every holiday! I’ve made chunky mashed potatoes and creamy, I’ve made watery mashed potatoes, and I’ve made airy mashed potatoes. I always use white or yellow potatoes. I find them easier to work with and the aren’t nearly as starchy as russets. Next, how chunky or smooth your potatoes are is based on how long you let them cook. If they cook until they are fully tender, you are more likely to get smooth mashed potatoes, if you strain them early, you will get a chunky mashed potatoes that will take longer to come together with a mixer. You want to avoid adding too much liquid of they will be runny, and if you want them airy, you can bake them for 10-15 minutes in a casserole dish. If you bake them too much longer, they will turn very starchy and heavy. Less cooking time for airy mashed is better.

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As for gravy, I used the last of the turkey stock I had made last year. If you don’t have a turkey stock, you can make some the day of, by boiling the neck submerged in water for about 4 hours, but you can always use a chicken stock. You’ll want to season as you desire, salt, maybe some butter, sage, rosemary, or thyme. You also want to start by mixing the corn starch with a small amount of broth before adding it to the gravy. Corn starch doesn’t create clumps as much as flour, but it can still happen, so it’s good practice. This recipe makes 8 adult sized servings of mashed potatoes and gravy.

Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Recipe CardDownload
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What You Will Need

  • 7 lbs White Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed
  • 1/2 Cup Butter (1 Stick)
  • 1-2 Cups Milk (As Desired)
  • Large Dutch Oven
  • Mixing Bowl
  • 2 Cups Turkey Stock/Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 Cup Turkey Drippings
  • 1/2 Cup Corn Starch
  • Small Saucepan

Directions

1. Place your cubed potatoes into the dutch oven. Rinse several times, then cover potatoes with 1-2 inches of water. Place over medium heat, cook for 30 minutes or until a potato falls apart when stabbed with a fork.

2. Strain your potatoes, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Add butter and slowly add milk and begin smashing potatoes with a mixer or a hand masher. Taste and add salt as desired.

3. Add broth to a small sauce pan, reserving 1/2 cup. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Mix corn starch with reserved broth. Once fully combined, add to heated broth. Bring to a boil and serve once thick.

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Thin Sliced Venison with Venison Thyme Gravy

Homemade gravy is an easy task that is often overlooked. It rarely can be as thick as a packet gravy, but the fact that your meat has it’s own flavor means you can make your own gravy with every meat based dish. This venison gravy was quite delicious. The venison flavor was at the front, and the beef flavor just helped support and smooth out the venison flavor. We greatly trimmed our venison so it had very little gamy flavor. This created a clean venison that released it’s juices and flavored the oil to create a very delicious gravy. Finally, I chose thyme as my seasoning because it’s a complimenting flavor that didn’t mask any other present flavor.

  1. Cut venison steak into 1/4 to 1/8 inch slices. Once sliced, tear pieces into pieces about 1 inch by 1 inch. Heat large skillet or sauce pan over medium high heat. Add about 3 Tbsp oil, and heat til shimmering.
  2. Add meat to pan and spread meat into an even layer. Cook meat for 2-3 minutes before flipping, then cook for another 2-3 minutes on the second side.
  3. Prepare 1 cup of beef bouillon. Add 2 Tbsp flour and whisk until all clumps disappear. Once mixed, add to meat and oil. Cook until thickened and bubbling. Add 1/2 Tbsp thyme, stir, and cook for an additional minute before serving. If you want a smooth gravy use a fresh thyme sprig and remove before serving.
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Open Faced Venison Sandwich with Gravy

The other night I made open face venison sandwiches with gravy. Though we have 2 pieces on each of our plates, it was so much food even for us that we were only able to finish one each! The bread and gravy really help to stretch the meal and fill your stomach for very little money. We served this meal with a side of fettuccine with butter and herbs from Pasta Sides and canned carrots with butter.

These are the same venison minute steaks I had used before when I made minute steaks with peppers and onions. They are pieces of steak that were sliced on a meat slicer to be about 1/4 of an inch thick. I cooked them in about 2 Tbsp of oil at a low temperature for a longer time to try and tenderize the meat and maybe melt some of the fat. In total I cooked the venison for 15 minutes over medium-low heat, melting in 1 Tbsp of butter at the end then letting it rest for 5 minutes while the pasta finished. Once it was finished, I served it over toast (since I freeze my bread) and smothered them with brown gravy that I had made from a gravy packet. This was a very filling meal that can feed 4 people.

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