Lynn Crawford’s stellar recipe!
Looking so forward to meeting Lynn this year at our best Canadian culinary event in Jasper at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge: Christmas in November. I recall watching her Christmas special on TV last year and wishing I was at that table. I met her this last Spring when she was Chef in Residence at Edmonton’s acclaimed culinary school at NAIT. That was an honour, and no surprise. She is every bit as effervescent as I expected and exuded inspiration to the students. She could not have been more effective if she had been a professionally trained educator. I am that, so know of what I speak.
I am looking forward to an opportunity to interview her at Christmas in November this year. She could inspire a gnat to cook a gourmet dinner. Seriously. And while I am on that topic, where ever you are in Canada, or anywhere, for that matter – if you have not yet booked a space at one of the three Christmas in November sessions this year, now is the time. Value for your money, memory making, friendship building and lots of learning happening at this world class event. Now, back to the gravy.
Every holiday, I order a fresh turkey from Sunworks Organic Farms. I call them at the farm and make arrangements to pick it up at Blush Lane or Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market. Whichever suits my fancy at the time. Ordering a bag or wings is an easy option at that same time. They apparently always have them available during the season.
I followed Lynn’s Turkey Wing Gravy recipe to a “T” and it is at the end of this post. I will therefore leave you to the photo essay, and the few comments I splatter between.
Now, Lynn’s recipe is all about the turkey and the Vidalia onion. She wanted to showcase the onion of one of the farms she had visited during her Pitchin’ In series. There aren’t any local Vidalia’s around here, as they grow in Vidalia, Georgia, and have been named Georgia’s official state vegetable in 1990. It is all about terroir with the Vidalia. For me, it was not all about the onion. It was all about the turkey, and having enough to send home with everyone after the meal. So, I used regular yellow onions and instead of roasting them with the turkey, I roasted them with the turkey parts, kind of.
I started by roasting them on their own. I wanted to be sure that the onions got a nice caramelization on them for flavour and sweetness. I roasted them for 40 minutes at 400°F and roasted one side of the turkey parts for 30 minutes along side them in the oven in another pan. After the turkey had a nice brown colour and the onions had given their all to the heat, I sat the turkey parts, non-roasted side up on top of them for another 30 minutes.
The caramelized roasted onions get puréed with the nuggets of flavour at the bottom of all dishes.
Other chopped onions go into the stock with the roasted turkey wings.
I do grow all of my own fresh herbs. There is such a sense of satisfaction when adding my own home grown food to anything I make in my urban kitchen.
These caramelized roasted and puréed onions are set aside until after the stock is made: they are as smooth as velvet when processed in the Thermomix machine.
I was surprised as it looks like I am making Turkey Soup!
The purée is placed in the centre of my large frying pan, waiting patiently for the stock.
The stock is dark and flavourful. Much less liquid than if I was making a soup.
The meat on the wings is flavourful and made a gorgeous, yet small, turkey salad for sandwiches.
The delicious vegetable debris is strained from the stock to leave it lean and clean for adding to the onion purée.
The dark, rich, turkey flavoured stock was very tasty.
Added to the caramelized roasted and puréed onions, the flavour was exceptional, but vastly different than traditional turkey gravy. I am a traditionalist, and want that traditional turkey gravy for my holiday meals. I was planning on mixing this gravy with my turkey gravy, but once I tasted it, I changed my mind.
Instead, I used the Turkey Wing Gravy with all of our leftovers. I usually have very little gravy for leftovers, so this was a real treat. Absolutely scrumptious. I was thrilled to have this option for our leftover hot meals following Christmas and Easter. This is the third holiday meal that I am preparing this recipe and I do believe it has found its place in my family recipe archives. Three is the magic number, no?
How I love our Traditional Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner!
Extra Gravy for the Holidays: Turkey Wing Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) olive oil
- 4 turkey wings
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , smashed
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1-2 fresh bayleaves
- 5 cups (1.25 L) chicken broth, divided
- 2 carrots cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces
- 3 stalks celery cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ( I may have added a little more)
Instructions
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Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat; dd wings and onions and cook, flipping wings and stirring onions occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes Add garlic, thyme and rosemary sprigs; add 1 ½ cups or 350ml stock to skillet and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan
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Transfer to a small stock pot
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Stir in remaining broth, carrot, celery and bay leaf; bring to a boil
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Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 1 hour, skimming occasionally
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While broth is simmering, puree roasted onions and about ½ cup or 125ml pan juices from turkey (after roasting your turkey) in blender or food processor
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Transfer to a large saucepan
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Remove and discard wings
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Strain broth through a large strainer into saucepan with onions
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Press on vegetables in strainer to extract any remaining liquid; discard strained vegetables
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Bring strained broth and onions to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally
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Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper
Recipe Notes
I roasted the chicken wings till they were golden and caramelized, then add to the stock as extra caramelizing equals extra flavor.
Valerie, you have such a wonderful blog! I love it! The past few months though for some reason the updates don’t come to my email box like they used to. Has anyone else mentioned that problem? I have checked the spam folder and nothing. I love the updates and they brighten my day! Hope we can get it resolved soon.
Thank you, June
Yes, I have heard about this from a couple of others.
I will see what I can do, and thank you so very much for following along! That is so appreciated!
Sincerely,
Valerie
How much butter do you add?
HI, Elsie – now in the recipe; thanks for letting me know I had omitted it.
🙂
V
Hello Valerie. I too love your blog but have not received an email for a few months. So glad to receive this most recent email. I too make my gravy ahead but had difficulty finding turkey parts at all of the local grocery stores this past week. I relented and used chicken and my gravy still turned out great. I love making things ahead of time so I can enjoy my company. Happy Thanksgiving!
Nice to hear this, Lynn.
Happy to hear you received this one.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Valerie
Interesting to hear that I wasn’t the only one with mysteriously missing blog posts 🙂 I wonder if you can recommend a good all purpose frying pan such as the part of one I see the onion puree sitting in. I’m in the market for a new one, but the options are overwhelming. Thanks! Love your blog!
For me, frying pans need to be cast iron. I have several in different sizes, from a tiny one to a 14 inch deep one. I know there are people who swear by other kinds but the even heat and flexibility of tools I can use in them outweigh any other considerations.
A good cast iron frying pan, or two, is a definite must, but I am an All Clad fiend, Brendi.
🙂
Valerie
Hey, Maureen,
Depends upon your price point. Costco usually has some very good ones that will last a good couple of years with heavy use at very reasonable prices: around 30 dollars. With that in mind, one can buy a new one every two years, or so, too! And I do have my Costco frying pans… but, the one in the photo is an All Clad pan. I am an All Clad fiend. Now, the price point on these will knock you off your feet. I just about passed out in the kitchen store the first time I took a look under a pot at that little sticker. But, did my research, kept my ear to the ground – and you can find them on sales. Of course, you still have to save your pennies. I had them on my Christmas list for a couple of years and my gal friends celebrate special birthdays and bought me a big one as a group gift one year. I find I need a large straight edged frying pan, a dutch oven sized one and I have a heavy Dutch oven, too… then a braiser and a 2-3 liter pot. That is enough for me. You have to pay special attention to their care and cleaning, but they are exceptional and very easy to clean and keep clean.
I have a couple of other frying pans, too. I did have three Le Creuset pots and LOVED them, but they really are difficult to keep clean and do not do well under heavy use for the price paid. Yes, they are fully returnable with a lifetime guarantee, but I have no time for that. You cannot use them above medium heat, but that is fine, as there is no need. They cook everything beautifully. I have one braiser that I do love – and one only needs one. And had one Le Creuset Dutch oven, but it chipped, discoloured, and I just ended up trashing it as the bottom started to burn food too easily due to age. I know it was a very expensive family group gift one year and that I could have sent it in and received a new one. I enjoyed it so much for so many years, I was fine with that. Miss it, but will not ask for another and will not invest in one at full price, again. Waiting to catch a deal in my favourite colour. :0
Hope that helps!
The choices are overwhelming… and nothing will every be perfect. The decision really depends upon how much you cook, and what… really.
🙂
Valerie
G’day great idea Vallerie and am sure the holidays will catch up with us all soon!
Cheers! Joanne
Nice to hear from you, Joanne. Our Thanksgiving is this very weekend, in Canada.
🙂
Valerie
This is fantastic Valerie!
Thanks, Laureen!
Did you try it?
🙂
Valerie
Wondering about this recipe…. Seems like some ingredients are missing? Celery and bay leaf? Sounds great, will you please clarify the amounts. Anything else missing?
Thanks for noticing that!!! I added those items on my own, but have now added them to the recipe, too!
🙂
Let me know what you think of the gravy, Crystal. Did you make it?
🙂
Valerie
Hi Valerie! Can I use chicken stock instead of the broth?
Hi Anna!
Absolutely! Happy Holidays!
🙂
V
Can this gravy be frozen? If yes, for how long. How much in advance can you make it if you don’t freeze it?
Thank you.
Yes, Carol
If well packaged, up to three months
🙂
Valerie