A gravy secret from the Diestel Family of California: Warm a cup of white wine and pour it over the turkey about one hour before roasting ends.
Tips:I have never found a truly effective separator that can remove fat from the drippings. The best way to make gravy is to use drippings from a turkey you cooked earlier in the year. That way, you can refrigerate the drippings, skim off the fat, and freeze the juices to make gravy later in the year.
If you haven’t planned that far in advance, you can try removing the freshly cooked bird to the serving platter or carving board, then skim as much fat as you can from the drippings with a large metal spoon. Once you get all the easy puddles, add 6-8 ice cubes to gather the remaining fat to the cold cubes. This will water down the juices, so you may need to add a dollop of Better than Bouillon Roast Turkey flavoring.
Ingredients:Make a paste using cornstarch and the same amount of juices, or the reserved potato cooking water. Add a bit more juice just to make the paste pourable. You want this thickening mixture to be perfectly smooth, or your gravy will be lumpy.
If you have a metal roasting pan, you can heat the juices right in the pan. If you are using a pyrex roasting pan, pour the juices into a pan that can be used on your stovetop. Heat the juices until nearly boiling, add the thickener and watch it clarify as you stir. The stirring evens the heat and prevents lumps. Repeat with another tablespoon of cornstarch if you desire a thicker gravy. Serve immediately.
