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Make Ahead Cider and Sage Gravy

Make ahead cider and sage gravy with a deeply browned roasted base and a silky, smooth flour roux. Simmered with apple cider, then reheated until glossy and pourable.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Turkey wings or drumsticks
  • 2 lb Turkey wings or drumsticks
Onion
  • 1 Onion
Carrots
  • 2 Carrots
Celery stalks
  • 2 Celery stalks
Olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
Chicken broth
  • 6 cup Chicken broth
Apple cider
  • 1 cup Apple cider
Butter
  • 6 tbsp Butter
All-purpose flour
  • 1.5 cup All-purpose flour
Fresh sage
  • 2 tbsp Fresh sage
Fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp Fresh thyme leaves
Apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
Salt
  • 0.25 tsp Salt
Black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp Black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Roast the turkey base
  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Toss turkey wings or drumsticks, onion, carrots, and celery with olive oil, then spread on a sheet pan.
  2. Roast for 45 minutes at 425F until deeply browned. Scrape any browned bits from the pan as they form.
Make and strain the stock
  1. Transfer the roasted turkey and vegetables to a pot and add chicken broth and apple cider. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  2. Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock for the gravy.
Build the sage-cider roux gravy
  1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add fresh sage and fresh thyme leaves and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  2. Whisk in all-purpose flour. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the mixture turns golden brown.
  3. Gradually whisk in the reserved stock. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, whisking until thick and smooth.
  4. Stir in apple cider vinegar and season with salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Cool and reheat
  1. Cool the gravy, then refrigerate up to 3 days. Cover once fully cooled.
  2. Reheat over medium heat, whisking until pourable. Stir in pan drippings if you have them.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, whisk the flour until golden before adding stock, and add the stock gradually so no lumps form. Cool quickly, refrigerate in a covered container up to 3 days, and reheat gently over medium heat, whisking often; freezer: no (texture can change). For a dairy-free option, swap butter with a 1:1 plant-butter substitute and use a neutral oil if needed to keep the roux workable.