I finally conquered giblet gravy

Here's a little background for you: My family never made giblet gravy. Yes, it's true.

That's because we used the giblets for something more important: Wonderful cornbread dressing. Other dressings taste gross in comparison.

So until this past Thanksgiving, I had never even tried giblet gravy, let alone made it.

And nobody believed me. Surely everyone knows what giblet gravy is, and how to make it. I was expected to already know, but alas, I really did not.

I wanted to learn, though, so I did my best to observe from the edge of the kitchen.

It was wonderful, and I came home determined to learn how to make giblet gravy on my own. It took a couple of tries, before I finally got it right.

Since I'm unwilling to give up my turkey giblets in the dressing, I use chicken gizzards for the gravy. You can't tell the difference, when it's in gravy.

I had tried chicken livers, but they disintegrate and the gravy becomes grainy. Use gizzards.

You need to cook down the giblets with chopped onions* in a skillet for a while, then remove.

*Add salt and pepper if you want.

Deglaze the skillet and save the liquid in a cup.

Then start your normal gravy base: Heat 2 tbsp butter or turkey drippings in a pan.

Whisk in 2 tbsp flour*. I like thick gravy, so I end up adding more, after adding the liquid.

*Or 1 tbsp cornstarch. Some like to mix the flour/cornstarch in liquid first, then pour in.

Add the deglazed liquid, and then enough stock / milk* to equal 2 cups total. If it's too thin, whisk in more flour.

*Stock, or milk, or a combination of both.

When the gravy is the consistency that you want, then add the giblets / onions and cook some more.

Add seasoned salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder.

Better than bouillon chicken base is optional.

Now there's another secret ingredient to add, or you could save it for the dressing.

The NECK!  Take the meat off the neck.

My family always boiled this part in with the stock to use for the dressing, and then discarded.

But I recently discovered you can indeed take the meat off, and use it for dressing or gravy.

It's even better if you roast this part along with the turkey; It's much more flavorful that way.