Gravy Recipes

From: Martin H. Sokol

I have been making Thanksgiving turkey for over 10 years. Many cooks pour water into the turkey roasting pan for their gravy. However, if the cook uses well prepared turkey stock in place of water, the gravy reaches a level of taste that your guests will remember with smiles.

Here is my recipe for Turkey gravy.

Prepare turkey stock as  follows

INGREDIENTS FOR TURKEY  STOCK

Stock Pot
Turkey Necks,(approx. 18 necks),  fresh  Rosemary, fresh Thyme, fresh Sage, fresh Tarragon
Have turkey necks chopped in pieces to make it easier to put into a pot
Chop Rosemary (removing wooden stems) until pieces are very small
Chop Thyme, Sage, Tarragon same way
Put everything in a stock pot, add extra virgin olive oil
Add water but not too much otherwise it will spill over
Cook at low boil for twelve (12) hours. No less.
After 12 hours remove all solid ingredients with strainer and put into plastic container. This is the stock
Place in refrigerator.
By next morning turkey stock will be like Jell-O. There will be a layer of fat on top. Leave it. Do not remove

PREPARING TURKEY GRAVY

When you are ready to cook the turkey add to roasting pan, 1 soup carrot, a celery stalk, 2 chopped onions, mushrooms and ALL of the turkey stock.

As the turkey cooks, natural turkey juices will be absorbed into the original turkey stock. When turkey is finished cooking, remove all solid material by pouring through a strainer into a plastic container. Separate all fat from gravy using a gravy fat separator (you must purchase this from a catalogue or store) and remove all fat. You now have 100% protein gravy,  no fat. If you refrigerate this gravy it becomes a  hard jell. That’s because  the solid material has been transferred to what is known in chemistry as a colloidal suspension.

If you want to thicken the gravy add either flower or corn starch. This gravy is the most delicious you have ever tasted. If added to bread and other ingredients and baked  in an oven, you have the base of both a healthy and delectable turkey stuffing. Naturally, there are other tastes one can add such as pepper, garlic, peppers, etc.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving.

Italian Vegetables from Sonia Movsas

Italian Vegetables from Sonia Movsas

1 medium eggplant ,sliced and salted. Let juices drain. Rinse and pat dry. The eggplant must be salted for at least half-an-hour.

Coat a 9×13 baking pan with oil. Layer in the following order.

3 -4 medium potatoes,thinly sliced(I use food processor to get thin slices)

Sprinkle with salt and pepper

1 large onion thinly sliced (again in processor)

sprinkle with salt and pepper

1 large green pepper sliced

Pat the slices of eggplant dry with paper towel and layer over green pepper

sprinkle with salt and pepper

slice enough tomatoes to make a layer over eggplant (about 2 -3)

sliced olives and scatter over tomatoes (i use black olives)

salt and pepper

drizzle one quarter cup olive oil over casserole

cover loosely with foil and bake in 425 degree oven for 25 minutes

turn down oven to 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until oil is absorbed and vegetables are soft(i turn off the oven and leave the dish in for awhile)

This is delicious HOT, or ROOM TEMPERATURE or even COLD.

slice into squares.

My wonderful daughter-in-law gave me this recipe when I was visiting in Israel.

Cheaters Potato Kugel

by Annie Mendelson

I discovered a potato kugel recipe on the Manischewitz box the first year we were married, and this recipe has been a major staple for when my kids want potato kugel.  No potato peeling necessary!

Ingredients
1 – six–eight ounce box of Potato Pancake Mix
2 eggs (I use 3 whites)
2 cups water
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup Matzah meal (or bread crumbs from old challah or bread)

Beat eggs until blended.  Add water and vegetable oil; mix well.  Stir in Matzah meal and potato pancake mix.  Allow batter to thicken for at least 3 minutes.  Spread in a well greased pan (circular layer cake pan).  Bake in pre-heated oven at 450°F for 1 hour or until as brown as desired.

Variation:  chop up vegetables and blend in moistened mix before baking.
Serves 6-8 depending on serving size.

Kaiserschmarn

Here is another recipes from my mother, Ruth Kloogman, who was a member of the Great Neck Synagogue from its founding in the 1950s through the remainder of  her life.  She was Brooklyn-born, but made these two dishes for my father, Raoul Kloogman,  who was born in Vienna, Austria.  He was also a member of the Synagogue from its earliest years.
Judy Kloogman Weinstein

1 cup flour
2 Tbls. sugar
1 cup milk
3 Tbls. butter
3 eggs, separated
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Sift the flour.  Using an electric mixer, add the milk to the flour.  Then add the sugar, the three egg yolks, and a pinch of salt.  Beat the egg whites until stiff.  Fold the egg whites into the mixture.  Melt the butter in a casserole, and swirl it around so that the bottom and sides are coated with the butter.

Pour mixture into casserole.  Bake for 10 minutes or until it is brown.  Turn kaisershmarn over (it doesn’t matter if it breaks) and brown the other side.  Remove from casserole, tear it into pieces and serve hot.  This is a dairy recipe.