Make Ahead Chicken Gravy
This richly flavored chicken gravy is a perfect make-ahead holiday gravy for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Made from roasted chicken seasoned with herbs and then finished with white wine and shallots, this gravy can be frozen and reheated for your holiday dinner.
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters both leg and thigh
- Sprinkle kosher salt and black pepper
- 6 tablespoons butter softened, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 onion cut into quarters
- 1 orange cut into quarters
- 1 lemon cut into quarters
- 1 shallot minced
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup flour plus 2 tablespoons for the shallots
- 8 cups chicken stock
Instructions
Roast the Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the chicken pieces in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over the chicken.
- Add just 4 tablespoons of the softened butter to a small mixing bowl. Add the dried sage, rosemary, and thyme. Zest the orange and lemon over the butter. Use a fork to blend all the seasonings into the butter. Spread the herb butter evenly over the chicken pieces.
- Chop the onion, orange, and lemon each into quarters. Scatter the pieces evenly throughout the roasting pan.
- Roast the chicken for 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the meat registers 200°F with a probe thermometer. You may want brush the melted butter over the chicken with a pastry brush after the first 30 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter and set aside. Remove the onion, orange, and lemon segments.
Prepare the Gravy
- Pour the pan drippings into a gravy fat separator and set aside.
- Pour the white wine into the roasting pan and set it over medium-high heat. Whisk the wine over the surface of the pan to lift up all the roasted bits of flavor clinging to the bottom. Once the pan has been deglazed and the wine has reduced by half, pour it into a large measuring cup or mixing bowl and set aside.
- Place a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Once it has melted, add the minced shallots. Stir and cook until they have softened. Add just 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk it in. Let it come to a bubble and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Use the fat separator to pour the cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and set aside. You should have about 1/2 cup of fat left in the separator.
- Pour the 1/2 cup of fat into a large pot set over medium-high heat. Add the 1/2 cup of flour and whisk it in. Cook the mixture until the flour turns it golden brown and it smells somewhat nutty.
- Pour in the reserved cooking liquids and the reduced wine from deglazing the pan. Whisk it in until smooth. Scrape in the reserved shallot mixture and stir it in.
- Whisk in the chicken stock and bring the gravy to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it is bubbling, reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the mixture thickens. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed, it may need a pinch of kosher salt for the flavor to fully develop.