Gravy

The gravy is used to dip the pieces of turkey in it and thus prevent them from being too dry. It can also be used as a sauce for other meat recipes.

There are many different recipes for gravy. Some use remains of other roasts and other concentrated meat broths mixed with flour and butter. We are going to use a meat concentrate called Bovril to make what the French call Demi Glacé and technically speaking it is about linking a  basic broth, in this case beef, with a roux that is a simple sauce. composed of a fat (butter or lard, also olive oil) with a flour.

A very simple roux is the one that forms the bechamel sauce, among others. I give you my recipe in which I use bovril and, as you know, I always look for speed before orthodoxy. Bovril is a concentrated of beef sauce that is very popular in England and is used to make broths or sauces. If you do not see it clearly, you can use dark meat broth although, of course, it is much more laborious to make.

INGREDIENTS :

• Butter
• 2 carrots
• 1 large leek
• 1 large onion (purple if possible)
• 1 large celery (optional)
• Dark beef broth (two and a half cups) or bovril (1 tablespoon)
• 5 cups of bottled or filtered water (if you use bovril)
• 1 tablespoon of wheat flour (optional)

Cut the vegetables into medium-sized pieces and poach them in a saucepan with two tablespoons of butter over low heat. When they are well browned, add a tablespoon of wheat flour, mixing well. The water and the spoonful of bovril are then incorporated. Leave on medium heat for at least 1 hour or until the vegetables have completely softened. Rectify with salt - be careful! It must be tried before because the bovril has salt - It is passed through the blender and through the strainer. Be careful when passing it through the strainer, especially if you have added celery, the fibers of which should never reach the broth.

With the broth obtained, which is quite thick, the meat is soaked or poured over the typical Thanksgiving mashed potatoes