Pan drippings are pretty simple. To get them, all you have to do is roast a turkey or other sizeable cut of meat or poultry. But like so many things in the kitchen, drippings require just a little bit of care and attention. Ideally you want a layer of flavorful gunk coating the bottom of the pan, nicely browned but not burned. When clarified and deglazed, this gunk becomes the key to a rich, flavorful gravy. If you do it right, the best stuff is stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Before you put the roast in the oven, cover the bottom of the roasting pan with about a half-inch layer of diced carrots, celery, and onions. Toss in a head or two of garlic (still whole but with top sliced off so the cloves are exposed), a couple of bay leaves, and any other seasonings that might fit the dish (fresh thyme, oregano, rosemary). These vegetables and seasonings will flavor the drippings.
Depending on the oven temperature and cooking time, you may need to add a bit of liquid to the pan to keep the vegetables and drippings from drying out and burning. But don't add too much, or you want get any browning—remember you want gunk, not soup. For a large turkey, I usually add about a cup of chicken stock at the start. Check every hour or so. Once enough fat has accumulated to coat the drippings, you shouldn't need to add any more liquid.
When the turkey (or roast) is finished, set it aside on plate and cover with foil. Along with the browned vegetables, all the liquid left in the pan should be fat. If this isn't the case, you can clarify the fat by heating the roasting pan over two burners on the stovetop until the excess liquid boils off. (You'll know because the fat will stop bubbling.) As you do this, the solids will brown and stick to the bottom, allowing you to pour off the fat. And there are your perfect pan drippings. This is also an easy way to separate out the fat, which you can reserve for making roux to thicken the gravy.
To harvest the drippings from the bottom of the pan, add a cup or two of liquid (water, stock, cider, white wine) and scrape with a wooden spoon until the solids dissolve. This is called deglazing. Strain this liquid into a small saucepan, and you're ready to make gravy (or what chefs prefer to call a pan sauce).
Tips:
- If you want to finish the gravy ahead of the turkey, remove the turkey to a separate pan for the last half-hour of cooking. You can then make the gravy while the turkey finishes.
- If the vegetables are burnt, remove any charred parts and make gravy from whatever is left. A weak gravy is better than one with a burnt taste. Next time add more liquid, choose a bird with more fat (which inhibits burning) or roast at a lower temperature. But don't add too much or you will prevent the vegetables from browning.
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