Everything is better with gravy. And I mean, everything! I always put gravy on the stuffing, mashed potatoes, turkey and even bread. It’s the quiet star on the Thanksgiving table that makes everything it comes in contact infinitely more tasty.

This recipe is a pretty basic and can be used regardless of the turkey you cooked. (I used the drippings from last week’s Citrus-Brined Turkey.) Mine were a teeny bit too salty so I talk below about how to desalt something. For years I’ve been making a rendition of this recipe. But I did something a little bit different this year. For starters, I took care in how I made my giblet stock. Instead of just throwing everything in there and adding water, I began the process with searing the giblets and neck in some oil. The browning adds nice flavor. And secondly, I seasoned the stock with sprigs of rosemary, sage, thyme and a dried bay leaf; stuff you should probably already have in your fridge this time of year.

Lastly, the one step I think is crucial (something my mom never did growing up) is straining the gravy. Don’t be shy to do it a few times. I love my gravy super smooth!

Pan Drippings Gravy

Learn how to make Thanksgiving gravy from the pan drippings from Adrianna Adarme of the Fresh Tastes blog

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Giblets (that came with your turkey)
• Neck bone (that came with your turkey)
• 4 cups water
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1/2 sprig of rosemary
• 2 sage leaves
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• Turkey drippings from roasting pan
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the giblets and neck bone; sear on both sides for about 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the water and add the bay leaf, rosemary, sage and thyme; give it a stir and bring the mixture to a simmer. Once the water begins to simmer, turn the heat down to low and cook for about 1 hour; be sure to skim the broth every so often and discard. Run the broth through a fine-mesh strainer and into a bowl. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of broth.
2. Remove the rack from your roasting pan and place the pan on your stove over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir the all-purpose flour into the drippings, being sure to scrape the bottom of the roasting pan, until it appears smooth and the flour cooks a bit, about 2 minutes. Pour the flour and dripping mixture into a saucepan (you can use the one from when you made the broth). Pour in the reserved broth and 1/2 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the broth has thickened, about 5 to 7 minutes. At this time, add any salt or pepper to taste. The drippings from the dry-brined turkey I made required absolutely no salt. If anything, I’d say it was a bit too salty. If yours is a little too salty, add squeeze of lemon to offset the saltiness. Another trick to take away the saltiness is to add a wedge of raw russet potato and simmer the gravy with the lid covered for about 10 minutes. Lastly, run the gravy through a strainer to remove any lumps. Serve warm.

Adrianna Adarme is a food blogger and author living in Los Angeles, California. She writes the blog A Cozy Kitchen, where she shares comforting, everyday recipes from her kitchen. She recently authored her first cookbook, PANCAKES: 72 Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Perfect Stack. She’s a lover of breakfast, pie (and sometimes even pie for breakfast), corgis and cute things. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.