The day that my mother brought home the big bird she removed the stuff that was packaged in the cavity plus the nob called the pope's nose. All these nasty bits plus a carrot, some chopped onion and celery were simmered in a large pot of water for hours. The next day she used this stock to baste the turkey the whole time it was in the oven. After the turkey was removed from the oven, she deglazed the pan with more of the turkey stock, scraping up the bits that were carmelized to the roasting pan. The giblet was finely chopped and added to the pan, Then a large clump of butter and a bit of flour, mixed to prevent any lumps. More stock was added and the we stirred, stirred and kept stirring until the gravy thickened. As a child I always felt that I got the rotten job that chained me to the stove while all the other kids were having more fun.

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