Chef Paul's Turkey Gravy Thickened with Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat Flour
Making homemade gravy is both a skill and an art, and when you use Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat, you can be confident that you are serving a delicious and healthy option to your family and guests. This recipe is perfect for your Thanksgiving feast or any time of the year! This recipe comes with a bonus feature: Chef Paul Canales made a tutorial video that takes you through the recipe step-by-step! Watch now on YouTube.
Servings: ~4 cups
Prep and finish time: ~60 minutes
For the reduced stock:
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs turkey or chicken bones, with any meat and skin attached, cleaved into 2” pieces, plus turkey or chicken giblets, if available
2 cups water
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
4-6 celery stalks, diced
Poultry herbs (sage, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, marjoram)
4 cups water
4 cups chicken broth, unsalted
To thicken:
Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat Flour
Water, as needed to create a slurry
Sea salt + pepper
METHOD
Place turkey or chicken bone pieces (including giblets, if available) and water in a heavy-bottomed medium pot and turn heat to high. Stir occasionally until water reduces to near-dry, then turn heat down to medium low. As the bone pieces begin to brown, stir occasionally until the contents of the pot are well browned and the bottom of the pot has a nice deep golden “fond” (residue).
Once the bone pieces are well browned and a nice fond has been developed, add the onion, carrot, celery, and herbs to the pot and stir well. Keep heat on medium low and stir occasionally until the herbs are translucent and beginning to brown. Once this result has been achieved, raise the heat to high and add the remaining 2 cups of water, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to release the fond. Allow the contents of the pot to boil, stirring occasionally, and as the liquid gets close to complete reduction, add the remaining 2 cups of water and repeat the process. Continue at high heat until liquid is nearly reduced, then add the chicken broth and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow stock to cook at a lazy simmer for about 15 minutes.
Strain the reduced stock into a large measuring vessel (at least 4-cup capacity) to determine the amount of liquid you are going to thicken. When straining, be careful to press the contents of the strainer for maximum extraction. Once you know the amount of gravy you will be thickening, place the liquid in a small sauce pot, set aside, and proceed to next steps.
Finishing the gravy:
To thicken the gravy, you need 2 tablespoons of Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat (HTB) Flour per each cup of liquid. For the above recipe, you will have approximately 3 cups of liquid, but measure accordingly, as amounts can vary, and you will need to adjust accordingly. Once you have your HTB measured out, place in a small mixing bowl and add enough to water to achieve a consistency of heavy cream – about 1.5 oz. per tablespoon of flour. Mix thoroughly with a whisk to ensure correct consistency.
Return the small sauce pot of gravy to the boil. Slowly add the HTB slurry to the gravy, stirring constantly with a whisk and bring back to a full boil. It is important to bring the gravy back to the boil, as that is the way you will know for sure if you have enough slurry to thicken the gravy. Once the gravy returns to the boil and thickens, reduce heat to low, and cook for a few minutes to cook out the raw flavor of the buckwheat. Stir regularly with a whisk, and after a few minutes, check the thickness of your gravy by dipping a spoon to coat. You are looking for an even coating of the spoon. If you want a thicker gravy, you can slowly reduce the liquid. If you want a slightly thinner gravy, you can add a bit of stock or water. Once you’ve achieved the desired thickness, season the finished gravy with salt and black pepper to taste and serve.
