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Make Ahead Cider and Sage Gravy

Make Ahead Cider and Sage Gravy with roasted turkey wings, simmered stock, and a smooth butter-flour roux. Glossy amber gravy gets its herbal edge from fresh sage and thyme and thickens to a pourable consistency after reheating.
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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: 260
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
  • 0.5 cup All-purpose flour
Fresh sage
  • 2 tbsp Fresh sage chopped
Fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp Fresh thyme leaves
Apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
  • 1 Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 saucepan

Method
 

Roast turkey wings and vegetables
  1. Preheat oven to 425F. Toss turkey wings, onion, carrots, and celery with olive oil and spread on a sheet pan.
  2. Roast at 425F for 45 minutes until deeply browned. Scrape up any browned bits from the pan.
Simmer stock
  1. Transfer roasted turkey wings and vegetables to a Dutch oven. Add chicken broth and apple cider.
  2. Simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture and keep the stock.
Make the gravy
  1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped sage and fresh thyme and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Whisk in all-purpose flour and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Keep whisking for even color.
  3. Gradually whisk in the stock. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until thick and smooth.
  4. Stir in apple cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat when the gravy is glossy and pourable.
Cool and reheat
  1. Cool the gravy to room temperature, then refrigerate up to 3 days. Cover once fully cool.
  2. Reheat over medium heat, whisking to restore smoothness. Add pan drippings if you have them and warm until hot.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, strain the stock while it’s hot and whisk frequently during the 8-10 minute simmer so lumps don’t form. Refrigerate in a covered container up to 3 days; freeze yes (up to 2 months) and reheat gently, whisking as it loosens. If you want it gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for the roux.