For generations, Thanksgiving dinner has been an all-inclusive family reunion, food fest.  Generations of great cooks, sharing recipes, returning with always demanded recipes, reconnecting, taking more pictures to add to the yearly ritual.  This year was no exception.  The overview of family connections was interesting this year.  My 95 year old aunt Eileen headed it up with her daughter Marlene.  My mother Dede, added her strong presence, shining through the Alzheimer's that is trying to rob her of her mind.  I was lucky enough to have my brother Jim and my sister Allison with her family there.  My sister Kay with her son, Pat and daughter-in-law Teresa.  Teresa brought 10 family members from her side of the family.  I had both my children there with my daughter, Regan bringing 10 members of her husband’s side of the family.  My husband included his sister Cathy and her family, plus his 92 year old mother Mary.  All of us were collected in a wonderful grange hall on top of Green Bluff in Spokane County.  We feasted!  Oh my gosh, we feasted.    One part of this Thanksgiving is a type of competition; who has the best turkey.  We had 4 turkeys this year, carving just half of each so the other half could go home for leftover sandwiches.  Hmmmmm, who won?  Possibly, my daughter Regan’s.  I always bring the gravy and upon request have agreed to give my secret out for it greatness.  Many choose it for their dessert course over more mashed potatoes.   Sorry, there are no exact measurements.  Here goes.....

Gina’s Thanksgiving Turkey Gravy

It all begins with the broth that you add to the roux made from the pan drippings.  If the broth isn’t yummy, then the gravy will be average.  The night before, I take out the giblets and neck from the turkey and put them into a large stock pot filled with water.  Add 1 or 2 onions, maybe 4 stocks chopped of celery and  carrot, fresh thyme, sage, parsley and a small handful of peppercorns.  Bring it to a simmer for several hours. Cool and refrigerate over night.  A couple of hours before the turkey is finished cooking, bring this broth back to warm, remove everything from it, into a food processor except for the giblets and neck.  Remove the meat from the neck and add it to the processor along with the kidney.  I don’t add the liver or heart. Process this mixture until it is smooth, the texture of baby food.  Season the broth to taste with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.  Add the processed veggies and meat to the broth, bring it to a simmer, taste it and adjust the seasonings.  I want it to taste just about right for gravy even though it is still just broth.  Once the turkey is done, remove it from the roasting pan, place the roasting pan with drippings on a stove top hot plate, adding about a cup of flour to the drippings and stir until the roux is thickened and bubbling.  Pour into the roux, the blended broth mixture a quarter at a time, letting each addition of broth thicken, adding more when it becomes to thick, finishing it off when it boils and still has gravy consistency.  Sometimes I don’t have enough broth, sometimes left over.  If I don’t have enough broth mixture I add chicken broth.  The final test of the gravy is to take a dollop of mashed potatoes, dip it in the gravy, pass it to one of the relatives sitting there watching football on television and ask them if it still needs salt.  Usually they groan and say it is perfect.  This year they said it needed more salt.  I ignored them.