For thanksgiving it's definitely gravy! For Christmas or another special meal gravy is always delicious with turkey, chapon or lamb but with duck or prime rib I prefer a red wine sauce. Here are both my recipes:
For 8 servings
Classic Gravy
You'll need 1 cup of roast turkey drippings, and a turkey vegetable stock for the gravy.
Start any turkey or roast fowl by letting it sit out of the fridge for an hour or so to come to room temperature - this will ensure it cooks evenly. Rub all over with lemon, Salt and pepper lightly, add fresh thyme and whole garlic cloves to the inner cavity. Roast for the first 15 minutes on 425f (220c) with breast down. Then turn it over, baste, and return to cook the rest of the way on 350f (180) for 20 minutes per pound minus the 15.
Ok so now that your bird is cooked drain off all of the juice and fat from the bottom of the pan into a clear plastic or glass cylinder - the fat will separate and stay on top. Best way is to take the fat away with a turkey baster - cyringe or drain it off best you can.
Sautée 1 medium challlot in 2 tablespoons turkey fat in a sautée pan on high heat.
Make a paste with 1 tablespoon of firm but soft butter and 2 Tbs flour. Cook this paste or what we call à roux in a sauce pan until slightly browned. Whisk in the turkey juice and deglaze your shallots with some vegetable / turkey stock. Vigorously whisk the roux into the simmering shallot/ stock mixture and reduce until thickened. Add fresh thym, salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.
The stock can be made by boiling 1/2 gallon of water with 1 leak, 3 carrots, 1 onion, and the turkey neck together until reduced in half.
you can add a bouquet garnit and a wee bit of salt, fresh peppercorns also add anice pepper infused taste.
Now for the red wine sauce - which is absolutely yummy with turkey or any fowl and I love substituting cranberry sauce for the cherry preserves.
8 servings
4 cups hearty decent quality red wine a Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon works nicely.
Tip - reduce your wine in half in advance by boiling it for 20 minutes or so. This intensifies flavor and mellows the tanins creating richer flavorful sauce.
1 minced shallot
1 Tbs duck fat or olive oil
2 Tablespoons cold butter or olive oil
1 Tbs nice quality cherry preserves, or fresh cherries with a Teaspoon of honey or replace with fresh cranberry sauce.
The traditional recipe calls for adding a few jiggers of port wine at the end but if you use a hearty red and reduce the wine as described it's not necessary.