Makes 3 cups

• 2 turkey drumsticks
• Some butter or olive oil
• White wine, approximately 1/2–3/4 cup
• 1 medium onion, , coarsely chopped
• 2-3 large carrots, scrubbed and cut in a few pieces
• 3-4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 6-8 tablespoons flour
• Salt and pepper
• Crème fraiche (optional)
• Additional white wine or sherry, if needed

Preheat oven to 325°. Place drumsticks in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper and baste generously with some butter or olive oil. Roast 1½ to 2 hours, basting with butter, olive oil or pan drippings if they start to look a little dry. Remove drumsticks and place in a large stockpot.

Place the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Pour enough white wine in the roasting pan to almost cover the bottom and stir to deglaze the pan. When all the bits from the bottom of the pan are mixed into the liquid, pour into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.

To the stockpot with the drumsticks, add onions, carrots, celery and bay leaves and add enough water to cover. Simmer, covered, 4-6 hours over low heat, adding more water if needed to keep drumsticks somewhat submerged. The stock should be golden brown. Strain and refrigerate. Once it's chilled, you can remove and discard the layer of fat that solidifies on the top. If you want to use the stock immediately, use a gravy separator to strain out the layer of fat.

Warm up 4 cups of the stock if it was refrigerated. In a sauté pan heat the ½ cup of reserved deglazing liquid over medium heat. Whisk in the flour gradually and let it cook for a couple minutes. Lower the heat and start whisking in the warm stock. Once it is smooth, raise the heat to medium high and continue cooking and whisking until thickened. If it seems too thin, continue cooking until it reduces to the right consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you like a very creamy gravy, you can whisk in a few tablespoons of crème fraiche. Unlike sour cream, crème fraiche won’t break when heated. 

This can be refrigerated for a day or frozen up to a week. When you're ready to use, reheat it and thin with a little water, turkey stock, white wine or sherry if needed.