Welcome to part 2 of Kitchen Talk this week! Today, we’ll talk about gravy. Because gravy’s where it’s at, friends. So here we go:

Why do they call it gravy? Is it very, very somber? Is it so delicious it could raise the dead?

Share your answers below! Inquiring minds want to know.

Just kidding. (I’m not doing that again, promise.)

Gravy. Luscious, rich gravy. I know I confessed that roasting a turkey is not my favorite thing to do in the kitchen or even my favorite thing to eat, but gravy is another matter altogether. I’ll rarely pass up gravy. I love it on mashed potatoes, on burgers, fries, meatballs, biscuits, plain rice, and pretty much anything you put on my plate. Homemade gravy is the best, and can elevate even a mediocre bird to star status. So tell us:

What are your favorite tips for making gravy?

If you despise liver and the mere thought of it makes you gag, you can skip to the next paragraph. If you’re on the fence about it, my tip is to give it a chance because I think it adds such a deep, meaty flavor to gravy. Most folks can’t get past the idea of liver bits in their gravy, so what I do is make gravy the usual way but leave it slightly loose. When the gravy is done, I whisk in a tablespoon or two of pate, then take the gravy off heat. If I’m really feeling naughty, I’ll sauté some chopped mushrooms in a little butter until browned in the edges and throw that in the gravy as well. And if I’m feeling naughty and crazy, I’ll throw the sautéed mushrooms and pate into a blender with a cup of the loose gravy and blend it until smooth. I mix that into the gravy with a touch of cream and sherry because I like to live on the edge. Then I tell everyone I forgot to make gravy and keep it all to myself.

Nanci’s favorite tip is to use the drippings from the fresh roasted turkey and make the gravy right at the end before serving. She says if you’d like to have extra broth for the gravy, you can boil the neck and giblets (except the liver) in a little water with salt and pepper. She typically brings the giblet mixture to a boil then lowers the heat to low and cooks that for 2 hours. If you need to thicken your gravy, Nanci says remember never to add dry flour or cornstarch directly into the hot liquid. Mix some flour or cornstarch with a bit of cold water before adding it into the hot gravy, drizzling it in slowly and whisking rapidly. She prefers flour instead of cornstarch because she feels it has better flavor for thickening gravy.

Betsy’s tip is one she learned from Ree, and that’s to use low-sodium chicken broth. She says it’s a must, especially if you brine your turkey. She adds, “When you make the roux, make sure to let it brown well before adding the other liquids. You don’t want that raw flour flavor.” Her sister-in-law likes to add a glug of half-and-half toward the end just to give it a bit more creaminess, and Betsy agrees that it can’t hurt any.

Finally, Tasty Kitchen member Amanda has a great tip for making The Best Turkey Gravy Ever that I can’t wait to try. (Click on her gravy photo above to get the printable recipe, though really, it’s so genius yet incredibly simple that you probably won’t even need to print it out.) Her tip involves basting the turkey with bacon grease one hour before it’s done. That’s it. Then you make gravy your usual way, and I can already imagine the kind of flavor that bacon grease will add to the drippings.

 
How about you? Do you have any favorite tips for making gravy? Let’s share!

 
It’s time for a special two-part edition of Kitchen Talk, and today, our topic is turkey. So, let’s have it:

Why do they call 3 strikes in a row a turkey?

Leave your comments below, then stay tuned tomorrow for another related topic!

Just kidding. (Although I really do want to know why.)

Okay, seriously now. Here’s our topic for today:

What are your favorite tips for preparing a whole turkey?

I confess, cooking a whole turkey intimidates me. It’s huge, it takes hours in the oven, it’s huge, it seems to take forever to defrost properly, and it’s huge. I think I was in my early twenties when I first laid eyes on a whole roasted turkey. I only remember that it took up almost the entire table. I don’t recall enjoying it all that much; I think it was dry and a bit bland.

Years later, my sister-in-law had an extra turkey in her freezer and gave it to me. I had watched enough Food Network shows to be convinced that brining was the way to go, so I went with an Emeril concoction that involved apple cider, beer, cinnamon sticks, cloves, peppercorns, orange zest, garlic, ginger, and salt. Shortly after putting the turkey into the murky brine, we had a family emergency and I ended up having to leave the turkey in the fridge brining for almost 3 days. We roasted it anyway (not sure if that was completely safe, but we’re all still alive so far) and it was super moist and tasted like honey roasted turkey. As a bonus, I reheated leftovers in a skillet with some butter and smoked paprika and had smoked honey roasted turkey sandwiches for about 17 days.

I realize it’s not a very exciting turkey story, but I really don’t have much turkey cooking experience. I do know that I once tasted a whole fried turkey that was later basted with spicy barbecue sauce and I think that is still the best turkey I’ve ever had. But frying a whole turkey scares me (because it’s huge!) so please invite me over if you have a responsible adult, preferably a fireman, frying a turkey for dinner.

My only tip is a basic one: brine, and use a brining bag. I used to balk at spending money for brining bags, but really, it’s the best way to go. You end up needing so much more brining liquid if you use a giant pail, and it’s unwieldy. And did I mention you’re going to need a big pail? For the huge turkey?

Nanci is much better at roasting turkeys than I am, and the biggest tip she can give is to get your turkey early if buying it frozen and let it thaw in a pan in the refrigerator for several days. Big turkeys can take 5 to 7 days to properly thaw. It’s hard to safely rush thawing a turkey so it’s best to plan ahead. She says, “I know. Your fridge feng shui will be off with that monster in there for so long but hang in there. Or buy fresh the day before! And obviously don’t forget to clean out both cavities before you cook the turkey (been there, done that, and it’s a mess). It’s also key to use a meat thermometer or pop-up timer because many times it will get fully cooked before you expect it to be done.”

Ree stopped by to share her favorite tip with us, too. She says, “If you brine your turkey, rinse it then soak it in a sink of cold water for 15 minutes after removing it from the brine. That helps with the issue of salty drippings.”

 
 
Now let’s hear from you! What tips do you have for preparing a whole turkey? Do you brine? If you do, have any favorite brine recipes or flavors? Do you have a special technique for carving the bird when it’s done? Share your wisdom below, and do come back tomorrow for part two of this week’s Kitchen Talk!