What Are Giblets?
Giblets are comprised of the heart, gizzard, liver, and neck of the chicken or turkey. They are often found in a small bundle inside the cavity of the whole bird. You can make gravy from the giblets of either a turkey or a chicken, though I think it’s more usual with a roast turkey. The giblets are bigger, and there’s more meat to put in the gravy.
How to Make Giblet Gravy
To make the gravy, you first make a stock from the giblets, which cooks on the stovetop while you are cooking your turkey. When the bird has finished roasting, you combine the stock, along with chopped up cooked giblets, with the roasting pan drippings to make the gravy. You can also make giblet gravy with a few hard boiled eggs and 3 tablespoons of chopped pimentos thrown in. Do you make giblet gravy? If you do, what are your variations? Please let us know in the comments.
To fully make the gravy ahead of time, you’ll need to use a different type of fat. Remove the giblets from the uncooked bird, and make the gravy as directed. In Step 5, instead of using the drippings from the turkey or chicken, use two tablespoons of bacon fat or two tablespoons of butter and continue.To simply make the stock ahead of time, remove the giblets from the uncooked bird complete Steps 1 to 4 of the recipe. Cool and refrigerate the stock and the minced giblet meat for up to 2 days. Getting this far will save you a lot of time the day of cooking.
How to Make This Gravy Gluten Free
Make this gravy gluten free simply by choosing cornstarch as the thickener instead of flour, following the optional directions in Step 5. Just be sure to first mix the cornstarch with water to make a slurry, rather than adding dry cornstarch straight to the drippings. All of the other ingredients in this recipe are naturally gluten free.
What to Serve with the Best Giblet Gravy Ever!
Thanksgiving Stuffing With Sausage and Apples Dry Brined and Roasted Turkey Perfect Mashed Potatoes Green Bean Casserole From Scratch Popovers
Turkeys and chickens are usually sold with the giblets wrapped in waxed paper or plastic, located inside of the cavity. On a turkey, some of the giblets may be found in the neck cavity as well. Giblet gravy is usually served “chunky”, if you want, you can purée it for a smoother gravy. One traditional option is the addition of chopped hard boiled eggs to the gravy. If you want to try that, chop up 3 hard boiled eggs finely, and add them to the gravy in Step 6. Add the flour (or cornstarch slurry) and whisk it into the drippings. Stir in the minced giblets. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring while cooking. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of mustard (to taste). Check for salt and add more salt to taste if needed. Serve it as-is, or purée the gravy in a blender for a smoother texture.
