Make Ahead Gravy - Super Simple

4 Turkey legs / 8 Chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1 cup water
2 quarts chicken broth, divided
2 handfuls of baby carrots
6 cloves of garlic, whole (or 2 heaping TBSP minced)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of dried sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup dry, white wine

Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil, Garlic to season the chicken.

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (200 degrees C). Arrange a single layer of meat in a large roasting pan. Olive oil, Salt, pepper, and garlic liberally. Scatter the onions and the carrots over the top of the meat. Roast in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until meat is browned and cooked through.

Place browned meat, onions and carrots in stockpot. Pour any juice from the pan into the stockpot as well. Stir in 1 box of chicken broth (or 6 cups of homemade if you have it) and add the thyme, a healthy pinch of salt, and 1/2 palmful of black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 1-1/2 hours.

Strain the stockpot - I debone the chicken/turkey and freeze the meat for soup at a later date. Discard the veggies and skim the fat off the broth.

In another saucepan (I use a wok, because I don't have a saucepan...ghetto, yes - I know) Melt the butter. Add the flour by the tablespoon and whisk to make a roux. Let the roux cook, stirring frequently until it turns a dark beige (this prevents floury yuckiness). Add the white wine and stir well. Begin adding the warm stock by the ladle, stirring/whisking well after each addition - this keeps it smooth. Continue to add the stock until the gravy is just slightly thicker than water. Reserve any extra stock for thinning on the day of (especially if it's in a day or two).

Allow gravy to simmer, stirring frequently until it is thick and rich. You actually want it to get pretty thick, unless you are serving immediately, becuase you will be thinning it on the day of with stock and pan juices. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt, black pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and sage as needed.

Can be served immediately, refridgerated for 3-5 days, or frozen for up to about 4 months. If you opt not to serve immediately, follow the directions below for reheating:

If frozen - remove from freezer a couple of days before event and allow to defrost in fridge, follow directions below.

If refridgerated - Remove from fridge about an hour before dinner. Reheat slowly in a saucepan (or a small crockpot). As it begins to get warm, add 1/2 cup of leftover stock broth from your prep day and stir to combine. Once you remove the turkey from the oven, skim the fat off the pan juices and add approximately 3/4 c. of pan juices to the gravy.

DELICIOUS!