No-fail Thanksgiving turkey gravy

Food section readers have all sorts of talents in addition to cooking. Mary Scully of West Roxbury is a romance novel writer. She tells us, “I hail from New Orleans where cooks make a roux as the base for any kind of gravy. Once you’ve mastered the roux, the gravy is always perfect. Down South, we throw in onion, celery, and green pepper, what we call the Holy Trinity, for added flavor, but purists may prefer to leave those out.’’

5  tablespoons butter 

5  tablespoons flour 

1  onion, chopped 

2  stalks celery, chopped 

1/2  green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped 

 Salt and black pepper, to taste 

 Pan drippings from roasting turkey, skimmed of fat 

1 1/2  cups water, turkey stock, or chicken stock  

1. In a large deep skillet, heat the butter and flour together, blending them as the butter melts. (If you heat and melt butter first and then add flour, it will get lumpy.) Cook, stirring constantly, for 15 to 20 minutes until roux is brown, like the color of peanut butter.

2. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

3. Stir in the pan drippings and mix well. Add water or stock a little at a time, stirring constantly, until the gravy is the consistency you like. Keep warm, stirring occasionally until ready to serve.

Adapted from Mary Scully