Just in time for Thanksgiving, the first post on the recipe blog, with gratitude as always. This is rich and delicious.

Remove from turkey the giblets, heart, and liver before putting the turkey on to cook. Wash the giblets, heart and liver, and put them in a pot of boiling water to cover.

Add 1 teaspoon salt, 2 peppercorns, 2 cloves, 1/2 bay leaf, 2 slices large onion, 1 stalk celery, 1 cut up carrot. Simmer 15 minutes; remove liver. Simmer rest for about an hour and a half or two hours or until the meat is well done and tender. Remove the meat from the broth, strain and save the broth, preferably in a large measuring bowl. Chop the meat finely and set aside in a separate container.

When the turkey has been fully cooked and has been removed from the pan in which it was cooked, pour the drippings from the turkey pan that the turkey cooked in into a separate bowl, reserving the browned bits in the pan. Set the bowl of drippings aside for a few minutes to let the fat rise to the top. Then skim off 1/2 cup of the fat and put it into a large skillet and set it aside.

Skim off the rest of the fat from the drippings and discard. Pour the remaining drippings into the reserved giblet broth in the large measuring bowl. Stir together, then pour all of it into the pan where the turkey had cooked and scrape up the browned bits in the pan into the broth/drippings mixture (if your roasting pan allows, you may heat it on the stove to make this easier and to melt down the stuck brown bits).

Pour all the broth/drippings/browned bits back into the large measuring bowl; add as much water as may be needed to measure 5 cups (if water is needed). Set aside.

Heat the skillet with the 1/2 cup of reserved turkey fat over low to medium heat. With a wire whisk, stir in slowly 1/2 cup all purpose flour (not whole wheat), stirring constantly to keep mixture from lumping. Cook until brown and bubbly.

Remove from heat and add the 5 cups of reserved broth/drippings/brown bits. Stir, put back on heat, and cook slowly until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. This takes a few minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Add the reserved chopped giblets, heart, and liver. Stir. Serve immediately.

If reheated in microwave, add small amounts of water as needed. Does not freeze well, but will keep in refrigerator for awhile–that is, if there is any left!

Happy Thanksgiving!