Too much work!

chicknrancher - November 21, 2006 01:59:22 PM PST

This is a long process for gravy. I don\'t think it is better than the gravy I always make. I do use good homemade stock, but I don\'t make it the day I\'m making the gravy. I freeze it to use as needed. I do add similar seasoning, mine just doesn\'t seem as time consuming. I guess that is a hint, buy premade vegetable stock and turkey stock to the right proportions, season and thicken. Viola! Gravy.

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Too much work--

neilia5972%40sbcglobal.net - November 21, 2006 07:28:42 PM PST

I agree with the reply "Way too much work and time consuming". I use the same recipe my Grandmother and my Mother used and I\'m 60, also my daughters use. Boil the giblets, dice up, use the drippings from the turkey, skim the fat, add the diced up giblets, can of chicken broth, bring to boil, use wire whip cornstarch and water ( thicken as desired), slowly stir into broth and drippings. Pepper as desired, usually don\'t need to salt. Yummy!!

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Try browning flour

Glenda F - November 22, 2006 11:22:54 AM PST

Our traditon from New Orleans is using the drippings and chicken broth made from cooking hearts and livers with onion and celery. To thicken the gravy we use browned flour. Yum. Quick easy and delicious. Oops, season to taste. I live in California now and noone ever heard of browning flour. Also we always had rice instead of potatoes with our meal. Not sure why or how that started. Glenda

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Oh my Goodness!!!!

bk_norman06 - November 22, 2006 12:09:51 PM PST

You mean to tell me that all that for some gravy???? WOW, and here I am just using the drippings from the cooked turkey itself and adding alittle cornstarch. Boy am I so un-Iron chef America and un-Martha Stewart like.

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Good for a Pro!

dbbaustin - November 22, 2006 11:41:39 AM PST

I am a Food Service Director, with 35 years of experience. This is too much work for most people. It is a good basis for a pro, however, most people want to open a can, add pan juices and thicken stock.

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Much Ado About Nothing

leighvaleriewilson - November 22, 2006 12:12:29 PM PST

Sorry, Martha

I will continue to use my Mom\'s standard recipe, which includes browning the flour to get a nice dark colour and good flavour, and has the added convenience of being a recipe you can assemble beforehand, so that on the actual day, you can reheat the gravy base, add additional pan juices (and a shot of sherry) to boost the flavour, and Eureka! Wonderful gravy.

I also like it because you can make up huge quantities if you need them (my family loves gravy and uses lots)

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I'm with Bachelor #3!

vikitoria3 - November 22, 2006 11:47:43 AM PST

Wonderful does not have to mean complicated. Good things can come from a can or a box - just experiment a little and add your personal touch.

And, "jschaufe" needs to stop reading reviews. They obviously make her/him stressed.

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Talk about complicated

sojijohn - November 22, 2006 12:09:27 PM PST

Is is possible to complicate something that is pretty simple even more?

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Too Much Work

Sandra D - November 22, 2006 12:05:11 PM PST

Martha: We love your ideas, but most of us have too much to do.
You have too much time on your hands if you follow this gravey recipe.

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Self serving recipe to make women feel inadequate

Arnold L - November 22, 2006 11:26:40 AM PST

This recite is so over the top as to be laughable, if it were not for the fact that making gravy can be traumatic for young inexperienced women who might just be intimidated by this excessive effort.

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GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!

grady10 - November 22, 2006 01:32:15 PM PST

........And Do the Hoky Poky and Turn Yourself Around! Not saying Martha couldn\'t whip up something great if she had to. But, give me a break. Cooking is a whole lot easier when you have 5 other chefs in the back preparing everything else!! This is "Gravy Gone Wild!" As a southern woman I learned to make gravy the good old fashion way.... Turkey drippings, Onion, flour, milk or water, salt pepper. Sometimes simplicity gets the job done. Everyone click your heels 3 times and repeat after me.....We Need You Rachel Ray! We Need You Rachel Ray!

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Give us a break!

misty y - November 22, 2006 12:59:45 PM PST

Good Gosh Lady, I wished we all had time to do all that but some of us have real jobs. Make it easy. Where\'s Rachel Ray when you need her? 30 minutes baby,30 minutes!

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You can do this with enough staff

SalCLargo - November 22, 2006 12:50:45 PM PST

Why make a mountain out of a molehill? Make turkey stock in advance and add it to roasting turkey. Place a whole unpeeled onion in the pan. Make a roux with fat from the drippings and deglaze pan with more stock. Gravy\'s done after you adjust seasonings.

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Pretty Standard Recipe to me....

Janet E. Carter - November 22, 2006 12:31:02 PM PST

Martha\'s recipe in spirit is very comparable to the recipe that my family used for years...and that I still use. Basically, I simmer the giblets (NOT the liver...too strong) and neck in at least 1 quart of chix stock or broth...from the store thank you. I dump in a peeled onion, a couple of carrots, a stick of celery and sprigs of thyme and sage to taste along with a bay leaf. If you\'re feeling fancy, throw in a cup of white wine to the concoction. I\'m doing that today actually, while my turkey is brining overnight. This is not an exotic broth...I wouldn\'t use rosemary, however, as it is too pungent for turkey...but I use it to help moisten the dressing/stuffing, and to make the gravy with. It\'s hardly time consuming and it creates a gravy that\'s deep in flavor but not overpowering. I drain off the roasting pan into a fat separator cup, use the remaining fat in the pan to brown the flour in, dump in the broth and the yummy drippings from which fat is gone and have at it!

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NOT IMPRESSED

pamreynoldsus - November 22, 2006 11:44:50 AM PST

Give me a break.
This is the most complicated gravy recipe I have ever seen and by the looks of the ingredients...can\'t be very good.
The build up to the process alone is enough to turn a seasoned cook into a
shrinking violet.
There are two kinds of teachers in the world...the kind who wants to share what they know...AND
the kind who wants to impress you with what they know.
Well Martha...this humble reader is not impressed.

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What verbage!

anniebhinojos - November 22, 2006 11:06:14 AM PST

The recipe is not only time consuming, but if you are hosting for the first time you wouldn\'t know what half the terms are on the recipe! Guess this is for the chefs in the family! Annie

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Best Gravy Ever!

lmf5000 - November 23, 2009 06:21:44 AM PST

Yes, there are a lot of ingredients and yes it\\'s more work than using just pan drippings and opening a can of stock, but it is worth every bit of effort. It is truly delicious with many layers of flavor.

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Christ, I've never heard such a caterwauling as from you guys!

lip_my_stockings - November 23, 2006 06:29:38 PM PST

Go open a can of Franco American if you don\'t want to do "all this work"! (You would have thought Martha instructed you to hunt down a turkey on foot and defeather it for all these complaints!)

This is a delicious gravy recipe and not all that complicated, newbies, don\'t be frightened off by the neigh sayers. Also, you can just add the herbs loose instead of the \'bouquet garni\', you\'re just going to strain the whole thing anyhow.

Enjoy!

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Killer Gravy?

m.koller%40sbcglobal.net - November 22, 2006 02:55:21 PM PST

Setting aside all the pros and cons of actually making this recipe, I am puzzled by the serving size listed as "4 cups". That\'s one quart of gravy per person. However I am guessing the flavor would be worth four stars, as most of Martha\'s recipes are pretty tasty - a welcome reward for all the work required.

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O My gosh - Way too hard to make. Here is my granny's Its easy and tastes great!

Irishpub12 - November 22, 2006 01:50:41 PM PST

I am a Grandfather now and I remember my Granny\'s Yankee Gravy. If you want to be the Gravy Meister every year and the only designated turkey gravy maker use my old Yankee Granny\'s Old Time Turkey Gravy. She was from Boston and had to feed a family of 9. At the end of the meal there was none left! It works for me and it can work for you.

First thing right off is to put a big smile on your face and look cool, calm and collected. Everyone likes you to look like you know what your doing. Do not get interrupted by Turky Gravy Miester wannabees. Keep them at bay.

Take the turkey drippings and place them in a large heavy duty stove top pan. Try and skim off a majority of the fat when it was cooled -but not too much. The fat is what makes it taste good. You should start with about 6-8 cups of drippings. Slowly warm it up to less than a bubbling steaming liquid.

You will need 1 1/2 cups of flour.

3 tea spoons of salt
1 tea spoon pepper
1/2 to One cup of whole milk or Evaporated milk.
3 tea spoons of worcestershire sauce.
The sliced and cooked turkey heart, liver and shredded neck meat!

Slowly add a tablespoon at a time of white flour.
Add the worcestershire sauce.
Add the turkey meat that you shredded and sliced.
Stir with a wooden or regular spoon.
Add the flour until the gravy turns golden brown.
Once it is golden brown add the salt and pepper.
Stir slowly and gently.
Add the milk as needed to prevent it from getting too thick.

Constantly watch the gravy as it cooks and make sure you do not boil it or let it stick to the bottom of the large sauce pan. Stir slowly as needed. Wear a funny hat for fun.

It only takes 15 - 20 minutes to make. Get ready for a cheer and lots of praise!

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Just Add Water

camgatr - November 22, 2006 12:42:42 PM PST

Dear Martha,

I not be trying this over whealing task for fricken gravy. Good Day.

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calm down martha

txn_lterm - November 22, 2006 11:46:11 AM PST

good recipe but MOST people have alot of cooking to do on thanksgiving therefore dont have the time to take an hour just to make the gravy. probably taste good but way too time consuming.

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Sounds fantastic! ...and don't forget to brown the flour!

beverly.mcadams%40sbcglobal.net - November 22, 2006 11:34:56 AM PST

Yes, I\'ve heard of browning flour. It\'s the secret of all those southern women who really know how to make gumbo with a flavorful roux. Shh...don\'t tell too many people.

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Giblet Gravy

The Original Firespider - November 22, 2006 01:42:19 PM PST

This recipe is way too complicated, and I don\'t mind going the extra mile. By the time this gravy is done all the rest of the food will be cold. Everyone keeps talking about browning flour. I have never heard of this before. Could someone write out how to do it? Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving to all!

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Time in a bottle

Mork - November 22, 2006 12:24:44 PM PST

Do you think SHE wrote this recipe? HA! Maximum effort for minimum return....

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The Bachelor Says...

meistermon%40sbcglobal.net - November 21, 2006 11:15:56 PM PST

Geez Louise Martha,

That recipe will produce an incredibely heavy, flavor-ridden sauce that is, agreeing with the other writers, way too much work! However, for the sake of the censors, it sounds wonderful and probably tastes fantastic!

For those that don\'t have a day and a half, nor a kitchen designed and stocked by \'Better Homes and Gardens\' may I suggest a very simple recipe... Grab a few cans of premade turkey gravy (and before I go any further ladies, let me assure you that your gravy recipe is way better than mine and I mean no offense to your perfected recipes), simmer on low heat; add garlic powder (about half a teaspoon per can), add onion powder (about a quarter teaspoon per can), mushrooms if you got em (totally optional but easily available in cans, sliced) and want em, and some wonderful capers (about 3 teaspoons per can)... let simmer so the flavors can blend, and you have AWESOME gravy... Similarly, for easy stuffing, use a generic stuffing (read Stove Top), and simply add dried cranberries to the mix... they will rehydrate and carry some great flavor... if you are bold, throw in some capers for consistancy in your meal plan! Time span on making both... 7 minutes for the gravy, assuming you can open a can, and about 14 for the stuffing... Trust me on this... never in my entire "Thanksgiving Cookin" career did I ever get more accolades than with these two...
Best of all, take full credit and use names like "______________ Stuffing (insert Mother in Laws name here) and "_____________ Groovy Gravy (insert better half\'s name here... bonus if her name starts with a G)! I guarantee a return on investment of at least 45 brownie points, redeemable on any given Sunday!

If you need more quick and easy\'s, you know where to find me...

Happy Thanksgiving to All,

Bachelor Number 3

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Gosh People

jschaufe - November 22, 2006 11:21:45 AM PST

1. Giblet gravy sucks - it\'s innards people!!!! You can make fine gravy with no organs....

2. For people like Annie, quit being so terrified in the kitchen, it\'s just freaking food.

3. Gravy isn\'t gourment, it\'s just the opposite, it was used to make dried out and probably old meat taste better... Those flavorings that are added today, really do make your food taste better.

4. If you don\'t like it, don\'t make it, but don\'t yak about it - you think people who cook are snotty? I think that people who DON\'T COOK are way snottier!!!! You actually think it\'s cool to make fun of something or someone b/c they take the time to make what you eat taste better. God forbid you have any hobbies.

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Just like Mom makes it!

catfitch%40sbcglobal.net - November 21, 2006 07:16:57 PM PST

I love this recipe! It\'s just like how my Mom has been making it for years! It is wonderful gravy. Thanks Martha!

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