Well here’s one anyway. Cass.
When baking the turkey put the tail, neck, wing tips, gizzard (optional) in a pan with a lid with 3 or cups of water , 1 tbs of powdered chicken stock. (base) , 2 cloves garic (whole) ½ small onion (not chopped ) simmer on low for 2 to 3 hrs. (take the fat off of the turkey parts except the wing tips , and tail for that is very hard to get off) at the time when turkey is about done; remove all dabree (ha) from the broth.
Drain broth from turkey being baked ( I bake mine in a cooking bag) and add this to the other stock. (note: It is best if possible to let this cool and skim the fat off first, but since this is hard to do because of timing I do 2 different things: 1. Don’t add the turkey drippings the first meal. 2 just add some of the turkey drippings , perhaps about 1/3, then add all together and rethicken the next thousand meals. Ha.
In a ½ cup of cold water stir in 2 tbs cornstarch, and 2 tbs of tapioca starch, stir about ½ of this into the stock . stir once in a while while stock is coming back to a boil. When it comes back to a slight boil , remove and if it needs to be thickened more, take off of heat and stir in some more cornstarch/tapioca mixture kind of slowly. If needed place back on the heat until it comes back to a slight boil. thicken to desired thickness.
NOTE: A secret to keep lumps from forming is not to add the thickening while the mixture is boiling. It is better to stir it in and then place the stock back of the heat if necessary. It will thicken below the boiling point.
I make a lot of gravy for you can make some turkey pies later and use it. OR on leftovers , or to make soup, or etc. You can even freeze it and use later. (makes good chow main also)
The reason for using tapioca is because it is slightly gooey and doesn’t thin out so back in time. However all tapioca makes for two much of a gooey gravy. ½ and ½ works fine.
You use the chicken stock above instead of salting for you get more gravy that way, and the powdered chicken stock salts it.
I don see this kind of gravy unhealthy at all. Just has a small amount of thickening, and you can let the turkey drippings cool and take the fat off before adding . It is the Kind of gravy they make from fat drippings and flour that you want to avoid. (the old flour gravy) even with that kind you can do a 1/2 flour gravy and 1/2 clear stock gravy and it is not too bad.