Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t forget to include the giblets this year. I like to make the gravy right in the roasting pan. I add the giblets to a pot that already has tasty browned bits and gelatin from the pan’s bottom. Turkey Pan-Gravy with Giblets is the perfect nutrient-dense sauce for your roast turkey and holiday sides!.
Cooking turkey giblets to make gravy is an essential part of many holiday meals. When done right, giblet gravy can take your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner to the next level. Here, I’ll explain in simple terms how to cook turkey giblets and use them to make rich, flavorful gravy.
What Are Turkey Giblets?
Turkey giblets are the internal organs of the turkey that come packaged inside the bird when you buy it from the grocery store. They usually include the heart, liver gizzard and neck.
The liver is the largest organ and is reddish-brown in color The heart is a darker red conical shaped organ The gizzard is a firm, round organ that contains grit to help the bird digest its food. The neck is often included with giblets and has a lot of flavorful meat on it.
Why Cook Turkey Giblets?
Giblets may sound unappealing, but they are full of rich, concentrated turkey flavor. When cooked properly and incorporated into gravy, they make it intensely turkey flavored. The liver also thickens and adds body to the gravy.
If you want a deeply savory, turkey-y gravy, then you must use the giblets (except sometimes the heart, which can have a stronger flavor). Skipping the giblets means you’ll miss out on giblet gravy’s signature taste.
Step-By-Step Guide to Cooking Turkey Giblets
Follow these simple steps for properly cooked turkey giblets to use in your gravy:
1. Rinse the Giblets
Whenever cooking with raw poultry, you always want to start by rinsing it. Give the giblets and neck a good rinse under cool running water in a colander. This removes any blood or surface bacteria.
Pat them dry with paper towels.
2. Simmer the Giblets in Water
Place the giblets and neck in a small saucepan and cover with water by 2-3 inches. I like to add the neck bone, some salt, a bay leaf and half an onion to the water for extra flavor.
Bring the liquid to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Remove the Giblets
Once cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer the giblets and neck to a cutting board. Reserve the simmering liquid in the pan.
When the giblets are cool enough to handle, separate and roughly chop the organs. Use your fingers to pull the meat off the neck bone.
Chop the neck meat into smaller pieces. Set aside.
4. Return the Giblets to the Simmering Liquid
Place the chopped giblets back into the saucepan with the simmering liquid. Continue simmering for another 15-20 minutes.
The low simmer ensures the giblets are fully cooked and tender enough to easily puree.
5. Puree the Giblets
Pour the giblet mixture into a blender. You want the cooking liquid too – it’s full of great turkey flavor. Puree on high speed until completely smooth.
Congratulations, your giblets are cooked and ready to turn into the star of the show – giblet gravy!
How to Make Giblet Gravy
Making gravy with your cooked giblets is simple. Just follow these steps:
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After roasting your turkey, pour the pan drippings into a fat separator. Let the fat rise to the top. Pour off and reserve the clear broth from the bottom.
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Make a roux by cooking equal parts butter and flour together in the empty turkey pan over medium heat. Cook until browned.
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Whisk in the reserved turkey broth and cooked giblet puree.
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Simmer the gravy for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
The pureed giblets give the gravy incredible turkey flavor. And the cooked liver helps thicken and enrich the gravy.
Tips for the Best Giblet Gravy
Use these tips for perfect gravy:
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For a smoother gravy, pour it through a mesh strainer after cooking.
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For a thinner gravy, add more broth. For a thicker gravy, mix a roux of flour and water and whisk it in.
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Add hard boiled eggs, chopped giblet meat or sautéed mushrooms for extra flavor.
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Use chicken or turkey stock instead of water when simmering giblets for a more intensely flavored gravy.
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Cook your roux to a deep brown for richer, more complex flavor.
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Season with fresh sage, thyme or rosemary for a flavor twist.
The Takeaway
Hopefully you now understand the simple process of how to cook turkey giblets. Simmering them on the stovetop tenderizes them perfectly for making a smooth, full-bodied gravy.
It only takes a little extra time when roasting your turkey, but is well worth the effort. With perfectly cooked giblets, you can look forward to the best gravy you’ve ever tasted! A deeply flavorful, velvety giblet gravy is the ideal finishing touch for your holiday meal.
Turkey Pan-Gravy with Giblets
To make gravy, mix the same amount of fat and flour as you did for the roux. Then, add broth until the gravy is the consistency you want. For the gravy, I will use 1 tablespoon of fat, 1 tablespoon of flour, and 1 cup of broth.
To make gravy without flour, use a broth that gels and this consistency should also hold. Without the flour, it’s a bit harder to make an emulsion – where the fat is mixed evenly. In this recipe, we’ll blend the Gravy with Giblets, so it should emulsify in the blender.
To prepare the giblets, I gently pan-fry them. After, I cut them into pieces that will blend evenly and reserve until my gravy is ready.
I wait for the fat in the pan to get hot before adding the flour with a whisk. If you want to make the broth taste better, you should add it little by little after the flour turns brown. Every time, I try to scrape up more of the browned bits from the pan’s bottom until they’re all mixed in.
Boil the gravy, check your consistency and pour into your blender along with the reserved organs. Make sure that it’s blended well and voila – gravy!.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, appreciating and giving thanks is a worthy habit. I like to appreciate things until I’m filled with happiness and thanks, and I think you should too! Like other habits, appreciating seems to be a muscle that, once trained, is easy to use. So let Thanksgiving be the start of practice and appreciate every day!.
How to Boil Turkey Neck & Giblets: Cooking with Kimberly
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