Make ahead Thanksgiving gravy

Getting all the components of a Thanksgiving Feast to the table perfectly cooked and hot - not to mentioned beautifully carved - is a major feat and making gravy at the last minute could be the straw that .....you know.  So why not make the gravy a few days or even a week or two ahead.

Here is a basic recipe you can tweak to your taste:

3 lbs. turkey wings or legs

2 medium onions, root end removed and quartered (don't peel the onion unless there is dirt under the skin)

3 carrots, roughly chopped

4 large, fresh parsley springs

6 cups homemade chicken stock (or substitute canned low-sodium chicken broth)

2 tablespoons butter

⅓ cup flour

½  teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400º.  Melt butter in a medium roasting pan over medium-high heat.  Pat turkey dry and add to roasting pan with vegetables.  Cook turkey 3 to 4 minutes on each side and stir vegetables often.

Bake in oven for about 90 minutes or until turkey is well browned.  Remove from oven and discard vegetables and turkey - reserving turkey for another use if you desire.

Whisk flour into hot drippings in pan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for a minute or two.  Gradually whisk in chicken broth until smooth.  Whisk in pepper.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, for about 45 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Salt to taste.

Cool gravy, cover and chill up to 3 days or freeze for up to 4 weeks.

One less thing to do on the Big Day!