I’ve been making this gravy for a few years now, but never posted it here on my blog. The truth is I have never liked gravy, because I live for crispiness. That said, this gravy is tasty, and people who like gravy seem to like it. We smoke our turkey, and the drippings can’t be used for a traditional gravy, so I love that this one can be made ahead. It’s one less thing to worry about during the rush to get Thanksgiving dinner on the table.

Source: Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 1 small carrot
• 1 small onion
• 1 stalk of celery
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken stock (I used homemade, enriched with turkey giblets)
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 5 whole peppercorns
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the onion, celery and carrots into large chunks and add to a food processor. Pulse for about 3-5 seconds until the vegetables are finely minced.
2. Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook for 5-10 minutes, until they begin to soften. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to combine. Once the butter and flour mixture is bubbling, add the chicken and beef stock and stir until the mixture is even.
3. Add the bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns. Simmer over medium low for 10 - 15 minutes until mixture is thickened.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning, then remove from heat. Strain the gravy through a fine strainer. Serve or store in an airtight container overnight.