Food Recipes Sauces, Condiments and Preserves Gravy Thanksgiving Gravy Fountain with Holiday Hors d'Oeuvres 5.0 (1) 1 Review This recipe takes our Best-Ever Turkey Gravy and adapts it specifically for a gravy fountain, creating cascading streams of savory gravy that pair perfectly with skewered roasted vegetables, stuffing bites, French-dip-style turkey sliders, and mashed potato croquettes. By John Somerall John Somerall John has a passion for all things related to food, with a particular interest in kitchen gadgets and food-related equipment. He has a thorough background in food, with ten years of restaurant experience and a focus on fine dining. John has managed kitchens for James Beard Award-winning chefs and continues to expand his passion for cooking through charity events. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 18, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Photo: Photo by Noah Fecks / Food Styling by Drew Aichele / Prop Styling by Ethan Lunkenheimer / Set Construction by Johnny Figueroa / Floral Design by Chelsea Olayos Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 16 to 32 servings I don't mean to tell you how to live your life, but you need a gravy fountain. Scratch that — you deserve a gravy fountain. I'm not saying it needs to be flowing 24/7, but then again, who am I to dictate how you live your gravy life? We've been living in an era of scarcity and uncertainty for what feels like a century now, and I can think of no better affirmation of OK-ness, no better rejection of the soul-eroding malaise of the eternal Blursdays, than to be able to hold forth your drumstick, biscuit, mashed potato mound or housecat to be warmly enrobed in an endless font of savory gravy. But what's a gravy fountain? My bad! I should have explained that it's a fountain that you fill up with gravy. Not, like, a yard fountain — though you should absolutely live that truth if you have the means to do so — but rather one of those electric tabletop fountains that you may have encountered at weddings, parties, and Golden Corral. Customarily, they're filled with punch, chocolate, or (if you're especially fortunate) queso, but there are not to my knowledge any fountain police currently employed at the city, state, or federal level. Even if there were, we live in seemingly lawless times, and it is within your power to manifest your dreams. Fill that sucker up with your favorite gravy — with a few caveats. If your gravy recipe contains herbs, mushrooms, or other delicious chunkage, like our Mushroom-and-Herb Gravy with Apple Brandy, the solids will need to be strained out so as to not gum up the works. Same goes for sawmill or sausage gravy and sure, that's a heartbreaker, but you could always reserve those tasty nuggs to add back into the dish. Or employ them as as a garnish, like porky little ice cream sprinkles! Recipe developer John Somerall created this glorious gravy recipe that is specifically adapted for a gravy fountain, so start there. Should your gravy preference tend toward the thick end of the spectrum, this may not be the ideal method of dispersal for you, though it physically pains me to say that. But if you're willing to give it a go, you can thin out your gravy with additional liquid. Not plain old water — heavens no! This is a chance to add some bodyodyodyody to the flavor. Heat up some stock, milk, wine, potlikker, or whatever is flavor-appropriate to your recipe, and slowly whisk that into the warmed gravy until it drips easily from a spoon. You'll know when it's right. You'll know it in your bones. (Also, strain out any bones.) Gravy never wants to hurt you, but as Somerall notes, "While it's perfectly safe to run the gravy fountain for a few hours, the gravy temperature does hover around 105-110°F; a little cooler than is what is considered to be food-safety temperature, so keep it flowing for under two hours." Surely the mere presence of your personal gravy Versaille is cause for wonder and awe, but you'll wanna have the cattle to go with that hat. Test it out before the blessed reveal with a pre-holiday gravy batch in order to work out any kinks (or lumps). What's the worst that can happen? You eat gravy twice in a month? Think of it as training for the gravy-centric life you will soon be leading. But from whence might this magical gravy font spring? Yeah, you can rent one, but such a device will likely be a hardcore pro model, and honestly, this doesn't require that much horsepower. For less than the price of a rental, you can obtain an effective and thoroughly mesmerizing home chocolate fountain to deploy whenever the mood strikes. I want this life for you. Oh and! You may and should find yourself in a gravy stupor by the end of the evening, but do not leave the task of cleaning the fountain until the morning. Even if you have to scrawl it on yourself in cranberry sauce Memento-style, and let the other dishes fester, remember to thoroughly flush out the fountain and make sure all residue is wiped away so you're properly prepped for the next time. And knowing there will be a next time? That's the gravy on top. — Kat Kinsman We've included mini-recipes for all of those hors d'oeuvres (made with Thanksgiving leftovers) in this recipe, plus three different flavor variations on the gravy itself. The gravy recipe yields enough to fill a chocolate fountain that calls for 4 pounds of melted chocolate. If you have a fountain that calls for 2 pounds or less, either divide this recipe in half or add half to the machine, and use the remaining gravy to refill as needed. While it's perfectly safe to run the gravy fountain for a few hours, the gravy temperature does hover around 105-110°F; a little cooler than what is considered to be food-safety temperature, so keep it flowing for under 2 hours. Add the fountain to your Thanksgiving menu for maximum joy. Ingredients ½ cup 1/2 cup [4 ounces] unsalted butter ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (about 3 7/8 ounces) all-purpose flour 8 cups turkey broth or Rich Turkey Stock, divided 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme OR 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste ½ cup (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces Hot water, as needed Rich Turkey Stock 5 pounds turkey parts, such as wings, necks, and drumsticks 9 cups water Reserved turkey neck and giblets (except the liver) 1 large onion, thickly sliced 1 large carrot, thickly sliced 1 large celery rib, thickly sliced 2 garlic cloves, sliced 1 teaspoon kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Directions Melt turkey fat in a medium skillet over medium. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture turns golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the turkey broth and whisk constantly until smooth. Remove roux from heat; cover to keep warm. Bring remaining 6 1/2 cups turkey broth to a boil in a large stockpot over high. Gradually whisk roux into boiling broth, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking often, until gravy thickens and no floury taste remains, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove stockpot from heat. Pour 2 cups gravy into a blender; add thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening. Process until completely smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour gravy through a fine mesh strainer into remaining gravy in stockpot; whisk to combine. Discard strained solids. Whisk butter into gravy until smooth. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Set gravy aside, whisking occasionally, to cool slightly while preparing and preheating fountain. Prepare fountain according to manufacturer's instructions; allow fountain to preheat for 10 minutes. Add slightly cooled gravy to fountain, and turn fountain on to allow gravy to begin circulating. (Gravy will continue to cool down slightly as fountain runs, allowing for a smoother, more consistent flow). Add up to 1/4 cup hot water every 15 minutes, or as needed, to maintain the correct consistency for proper flow through the fountain. If any lumps form, they will thin out as the machine runs. After 4 hours, the machine should be turned off and cleaned, and any remaining gravy discarded. Substitute turkey stock for broth Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the turkey parts in a flameproof roasting pan and roast for about 1 hour, turning occasionally, until well browned. Transfer the turkey parts to a large pot. Set the roasting pan over 2 burners. Add 1 cup of the water and boil over moderately high heat, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the liquid to the pot. Add the turkey neck and giblets to the pot along with the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, generous pinches of pepper, and the remaining 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer, partially covered, until the meat is falling off the bones and the gizzard is very tender, about 2 hours. Strain the stock. Finely dice the gizzard and heart and reserve for the gravy. Skim the fat from the stock before using. Bite-sized Thanksgiving variations: Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, and Sweet Potato Skewers: Toss together halved brussels sprouts, peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash, cubed peeled sweet potato, and olive oil. Roast until tender; season with salt and pepper. Arrange a mixture of roasted vegetables on skewers. Dip vegetables under cascading gravy to coat. Fried Mashed Potato Croquettes: Stir together 4 cups cold mashed potatoes, 1 large egg, and 1/4 cup flour. Shape into bite-sized balls, and fry at 350°F until crispy and golden brown. Thread croquettes onto skewers. Dip in cascading gravy to coat. Turkey "French-Dip" Sliders: Cut buttered toasted dinner rolls in half crosswise; top with cranberry sauce and thinly sliced roasted turkey. Ladle 1/4 cup gravy into a small ramekin to use for dipping turkey sliders into. Stuffing Bites: Cover cold stuffing with plastic wrap, and top with a baking sheet; place cans or weights on top of baking sheet to gently press and compact stuffing slightly. Cut pressed stuffing into cubes, and reheat in oven. Skewer warmed stuffing cubes. Dip into cascading gravy to coat. Gravy variations: Porcini Gravy: Simmer 1 ounce (1 cup) dried porcini mushrooms and 8 cups Rich Turkey Broth in a stockpot over low for 20 minutes. Process mushrooms and broth in a blender until smooth; strain. Use porcini-infused broth in place of Rich Turkey Broth in Best-Ever Turkey Gravy. Chipotle Gravy: For a lightly spicy flavor, process 2 minced seeded chipotle chiles in adobo and 8 cups Rich Turkey Broth in a blender; strain. Use chipotle-infused broth in place of Rich Turkey Broth in Best-Ever Turkey Gravy. Pimenton Gravy: For a smoky bite, stir 2 teaspoons smoked paprika into 8 cups Rich Turkey Broth. Use smoked paprika-infused broth in place of Rich Turkey Broth in Best-Ever Turkey Gravy. Make ahead The stock and giblets can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days; any leftover stock can be frozen for up to 1 month. Rate It Print