The Monday Before Thanksgiving...

Not much to do for the turkey, except for a daily massage to make sure salt is evenly distributed. If you're newly arriving, I'm dry-brining an 18-pound turkey, per the instructions on my turkey page. 

Gravy Boat

I started my gravy today. One reason for doing it now is that I want to use the parts I removed from the turkey before they go bad. The other reason is that it makes things easier on turkey day if the gravy's early steps are complete. 

The procedure is in the gravy section of the turkey page (and I rewrote the instructions to provide more detail). I started by browning the turkey parts along with an onion, which is chopped with the skin intact.

I deglazed the pan with wine and sherry and added two cans of low-salt chicken stock. It simmered for an hour.

I removed the meat from the turkey parts and strained the gravy. I added the meat back to the pan, which I processed using a hand blender before refrigerating. This will be the base for the gravy, which I'll finish on turkey day.

Comments

[Carolyn Jung]

The color is beautiful! That definitely looks like one great gravy. Happy Thanksgiving!

[Lulu]

I'm following your turkey instructions this year (wet brining, because I didn't start planning until today). Question about the onion skin: do you wash the onion first? I'm paranoid about pesticides and wash all produce before eating or cooking it. Even after peeling an onion I usually can't help giving it a rinse. Do you think I'm being too fastidious?

[Moe Rubenzahl]

@lulu: You can wash the onion if you like. You also don't have to use the skin if it makes you uncomfortable. It mainly adds color and probably not a lot.

The washing is probably not necessary but doesn't hurt anything either. If you're using detergent and fabric softener, then you're being to fastidious :) . By the way, I just happen to have read yesterday that onions are among the produce least likely to have pesticide residue.

Also -- thank you for the e-mail concerning the mistake on the turkey page (omitted amounts for butter and flour in the gravy roux). I love it when people find mistakes for me so I can fix them.