Lots of foods get sketchy when they go gluten-free. Traditional giblet gravy is not one of them. The switch from flour to arrowroot or tapioca adds that mouthfeel that normally requires homemade stock with gelatin. The gravy is less opaque without flour, but it is easier to make and it retains more of its turkey flavor.
I am sure this can be adapted for vegan gravy, but I just buy Imagine Gluten-Free Mushroom Gravy for my vegan guests instead.
I have avoided this recipe because gravy is a bit tricky to describe. I use it to make use of all the leftover bits from a holiday dinner. The amount of arrowroot or tapioca that you need is going to depend on how much giblet liquid you have left. I can make it easy on myself by insisting that you boil the liquid down to 4 cups or so but really, that is not necessary and it adds a level of stress to an already stressful day as you attempt to get the amounts just right. The truth is that gravy is very forgiving. Gravy can always be thinned with more stock or thickened with more tapioca. Gravy is personal. I like it so much that I make my own stock from year to year in order to ensure a strong turkey flavor. Some people like more salt, some like less.
One thing to note, you MUST let the gravy boil for at least five minutes in order to allow the gelling to work.
Ingredients
Turkey neck, gizzard and heart (I use the liver to make liver pate. If you hate liver pate, add the liver as well)
Celery tops and bottoms from celery cubes used in stuffing
two onions, papery skins removed and quartered
1 carrot (optional)
2 tbsp Bell’s Seasoning
Salt (amount is going to depend on the saltiness of your stock)
Black Pepper
Arrowroot or tapioca flour (at least 1/2 cup)
At least 128 oz of chicken or turkey stock (about 4 septic packages)
2 Large pots one with a with lid
Paring knife or small chef’s knife and cutting board
Food processor
Measuring cups and spoons
Large colander
Large measuring cup or bowl for tapioca / arrowroot
One ovenproof microwavable drinking mug kept in freezer.
Instructions
Put mug in freezer
Put giblets, turkey neck, celery tops, Bell’s Seasoning and onions in a large heavy bottomed pot
Cover completely with stock.
Put pot on high until you reach a full rolling boil, then reduce heat to about medium (a slow boil) cover pot and boil for about 2 1/2 hours adding more stock as necessary to keep giblets covered.
Remove pot from heat and strain into other pot reserving solids
Put stock back into first pot.
Mix arrowroot or tapioca and cold water until arrowroot or tapioca is evenly distributed.
Working slowly add hot stock one tablespoon at a time whisking into the tapioca slurry.
When the tapioca-stock mixture is hot from all the stock add it back to the pot and whisk the pot
Bring tapioca and stock back to a boil, whisking constantly.
Allow gravy to boil for at least five minutes whisking constantly.
Turn off heat and remove pot from heat
Whisk in salt 1 tsp at a time, tasting after each addition
Whisk in pepper
Take out a ladle full of gravy and out it into the frozen mug. You only need a small amount of gravy
Check for thickness and texture. If it is much too thin, repeat the tapioca process with about half as much tapioca.
If you want a more opaque gravy then run the celery, onion and gizzard saved from the stock in the food processor until you get a slurry (you may need to add some gravy to the mix to get it to process correctly. Then slowly add this slurry back into the gravy for more fiber, more thickness and more texture.
You can repeat the tapioca process until you get to desired thickness.
Reheat the gravy before serving and serve hot with turkey.