Rich Brown Giblet Gravy

Ingredients

• 2  carrots cut into chunks
• 0.8 cup celery sliced
• 0.7 cup cornstarch 
• 1  bay leaf dried
• 10 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth 
• 2  onions peeled quartered ()
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper 
• 0.5 cup port dry white
• 12 servings salt 
• 10 pound giblets and neck from a turkey 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sieve

Directions

1. Rinse giblets and neck. Wrap liver airtight and chill to add later, or save for other uses. Chop giblets and cut neck into 3 or 4 pieces.
2. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, combine chopped giblets, neck, onions, carrots, celery, and 1/2 cup broth. Boil and stir often until meat and vegetables are very well browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Add another 1/2 cup broth, scrape drippings free, and repeat step.
4. Add 9 cups broth, bay leaf, port, and pepper, stirring to scrape browned bits free. Cover and simmer until giblets are very tender when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. If desired, add the liver and simmer 10 more minutes.
5. Pour broth through a fine strainer into a bowl. Discard vegetables. Measure broth. If you have more than 8 cups, boil to reduce; if you have less, add more chicken broth.
6. Pull meat off neck; discard bones. Finely chop meat and giblets (optional).
7. Smoothly blend cornstarch with 2/3 cup water.
8. Add to broth in pan and stir over high heat until gravy is boiling, about 5 minutes. If desired, scrape turkey drippings into gravy and stir until boiling.
9. Add giblets, if desired, and stir 1 to 2 minutes more.
10. Pour into a bowl.
11. Add salt to taste.