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Burnt-Leek Gravy

Burnt-Leek Gravy

By Hisham Ali HassanNovember 6, 2025

  • Makes
    Makes about 1 quart
  • Cook Time
    25 minutes

This gravy borrows from the Mexican and Vietnamese techniques of deeply charring or scorching aromatics to add depth and color to a dish. We broil a leek until blackened, then puree it with stock (or broth). It lends an earthy sweetness and a touch of smokiness to the gravy. Typically, only the white and light green sections of leeks are used in cooking, but we char even the dark-green tops. Just make sure to trim off the ends if they don’t look fresh. For convenience, make the gravy in advance and refrigerate it up to five days. Before serving, rewarm it in a saucepan, then add 1 to 3 tablespoons of defatted drippings from your roasted turkey. Or, skip the drippings altogether; the flavor is great even without.

Tip

Don’t forget to rinse the leek to wash away any sand or dirt. It’s easiest to do so after halving it lengthwise—fan the layers under running water to remove any trapped grit, but don’t fully separate them. Make sure to pat the leek dry after rinsing to remove moisture that otherwise would inhibit charring.

Ingredients
  • 4

    tablespoons salted butter, room temperature

  • ¼

    cup all-purpose flour

  • 1

    medium leek (about 8 ounces) halved lengthwise, rinsed, patted dry and cut crosswise into 3-inch sections (see headnote)

  • 4

    cups turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth

  • 1-3

    tablespoons defatted roasted-turkey drippings (see headnote)

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Step 1

Heat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches from the element. In a small bowl, stir and mash the butter and flour to a smooth paste; set aside. Place the leek pieces on a broiler-safe rimmed baking sheet; it’s fine if some of the layers separate but most should remain intact. Broil, without stirring, until most surfaces are blistered and blackened, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Transfer the leek pieces to a blender, then add half of the stock. Blend on high until smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard the solids.

Step 3

Add the remaining stock to the pan and bring to a boil over medium-high. While whisking, add the butter-flour paste; return to a boil, whisking continuously. Reduce to medium and simmer, whisking occasionally, until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the drippings 1 tablespoon at a time, until flavored to your liking, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

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