Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Lauren - there was a recent thread on just this topic --- see here. .

Lauren: also check out the The Pioneer Woman Cooks. THere is a gravy post a few days back. If you are a gravy novice, her step by step pictures and humorous comments could really take the pressure off!

hey I just copied this off the yahoo food blog ( i think) Looks good and easy!The Best Make-Ahead Gravy
Posted Fri, Nov 09, 2007, 10:09 am PST

Gravy is a Turkey's best friend and a dinner roll's finest dipping companion. Amazing gravy can fool the fussiest eaters into thinking the bird is better than it is. Let's face it, gravy is one condiment that should be taken seriously.

I checked in with Cook's Illustrated to get the best gravy recipe around. (Their test kitchen tried this recipe over 40 times.) Not only is this the best tasting gravy but it can be made in advance and frozen since it doesn't require turkey giblets or pan drippings,

ALL-PURPOSE GRAVY

1 small carrot, peeled and chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)

1 small rib celery, chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)

1 small onion, chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

5 whole black peppercorns

table salt and ground black pepper

1. In food processor, pulse carrot until broken into rough 1/4-inch pieces, about five 1-second pulses. Add celery and onion. Pulse until all vegetables are broken into 1/8-inch pieces, about five 1-second pulses.

2. Heat butter in large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add vegetables and cook, stirring frequently until softened and well browned, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add broths. Bring to boil, skimming off any foam that forms on surface. Reduce heat to medium-low and add bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns. Simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened and reduced to 3 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Strain gravy through fine-mesh strainer into clean saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

If you want to double the recipe, use a Dutch oven to give the vegetables ample space for browning. And increase the cooking times by roughly 50 percent.

The finished gravy can be frozen. To thaw either a single or double recipe, place the gravy and 1 tablespoon of water in a saucepan over low heat and bring slowly to a simmer. The gravy may appear broken or curdled as it thaws, but a vigorous whisking will recombine it.

To get more holiday recipes and tips from Cooks Illustrated check out their Thanksgiving Survival Guide: http://www.cooksillustrated.com/thanksgiving