Thanksgiving Mushroom Gravy

We have been making this Thanksgiving mushroom gravy for so long in my family that I’m not sure what most people make on Thanksgiving. It’s a little unconventional with the addition of mushrooms (I know, so many people do not like the texture) and addition of red wine (I think most add white wine?) but it’s honestly so perfect with turkey. We actually serve 2 gravy boats on Thanksgiving because people put it on everything…turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, bread and more.

The Game Changer

My biggest tip for any gravy on Thanksgiving is MAKE IT AHEAD OF TIME! I am not one for capitalizing multiple words but this tip will single handedly change the game of Thanksgiving. Let’s all admit that when it comes down to “crunch time” the gravy is the thing that is going throw off the timeline. Picture it. The turkey is resting, all the food is finishing in the oven. You’re getting ready to serve and now you need to pour off hot scolding turkey drippings, seperate the fat, add flour to pan, slow whisky in turkey stock, reduce, adjust, taste! It’s just too much going after almost completing a marathon of a day.

Therefore, you should make your gravy ahead of time. I recommend 1-2 days before your Thanksgiving. It allows the flavors to meld and deepen and will greatly reduce your stress. How can you make it ahead of time but still have the great “all-day roasted” flavor? Make turkey stock! Luckily, I have a recipe for you right here. You can make turkey stock weeks in advance, keep it in your freezer and then defrost when you’re going to make the gravy.

Now we aren’t going to forget about the pan drippings. It’s still great stuff! When the turkey is out of the oven, remove the rack (and turkey) from the roasting pan. Pour and strain your drippings into a fat separator if you have one. I actually don’t have one so my drippings go into a bowl and then into the freezer. The cold temperature from the freezer will help solidify the fat on top of the drippings, making them easier to skim off. Once you remove the fat from the drippings, you will add the drippings to your MADE AHEAD (here comes the CAPS again) gravy! Best of both worlds but so. much. easier.

Your gravy will be ready to go simmering on the stove so you can concentrate on carving the turkey, getting all the hot food out, assembling your salad or whatever other million last minute tasks you need to do. Just finish your gravy with the drippings, fresh herbs and butter, that’s it!

Mushrooms, really?

Now back to the recipe. Like I said earlier, I know many people do not like mushrooms. We have a fairly “picky” crowd for Thanksgiving but people still love this gravy so I would recommend trying it. Also the red wine is going to add a huge boost of flavor so don’t skip on that either. Lastly, I know many recipes call for flour and over the years we have adapted arrowroot (a gluten free starch) to thicken our gravy. Not for any dietary restrictions (although it helps that it’s gluten free) but it just gives the gravy good thickening power without freaking about how flour to add and the fat ratio. There’s so many things to think about on Thanksgiving, let’s make this one a little easier.

Why is mushroom gravy the best?

It combines homemade turkey stock and pan drippings for the biggest depth of flavor
Mushrooms add texture and umami
Red wine gives it a beautiful other and amazing flavor
Arrowroot thickens the gravy and keeps it gluten free
It can be made in advance (mic drop)

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter unsalted
3 each shallots finely chopped
1 ½ pounds mushrooms (white button, cremini, shiitake, maitake) sliced and quartered
3 tbsp chopped herbs parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
2 each garlic cloves chopped
2 cups red wine
7 cups turkey stock

To finish the gravy:

4 tbsp arrowroot mixed with 3 tbsp water to make a slurry
2 tbsp butter

Cooking instructions

In a large shallow pot or dutch oven, heat over medium-low heat and add 1 tbsp butter.
Add shallots and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Once the shallots are softened, turn the heat to medium-high and add additional 2 tbsp of butter.
Next add the mushrooms. Make sure they are in one single layer in the pan. Don’t move them for at least 2 minutes to allow them to get brown.
Sauté the mushroom for 5-10 minutes until cooked through then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add 1 tbsp of the chopped herbs.
Next add the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the red wine and turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the alcohol has burned off (just give it a good whiff to see if it’s burned off).
Add the turkey stock and bring up to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Simmer the gravy for 30 minutes on low until the gravy has reduced.
This gravy can be made 2 days in advance. Then on Thanksgiving day, you can warm up the gravy and do the following steps.

Finish the gravy:

This gravy can be made 2 days in advance. Then on Thanksgiving day, you can warm up the gravy and do the following steps.
Bring the gravy up to a simmer.
In a small bowl add arrowroot and mix with 3 tbsp of cold water. This is called a slurry and should be the consistency of heavy cream.
Whisk the slurry into the gravy and simmer for 5 minutes.
Once the gravy is ready to serve, turn the heat off and add fresh herbs and butter.

Notes

Simplify: Leave out mushrooms and wine for traditional turkey gravy.Upgrade: In addition to wine, add 1 cup madeira or cognac. Add 1 tbsp crushed green peppercorns to finish the gravy. Use a mix of wild mushrooms.