Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 1/2 cups amontillado or oloroso sherry

　　3 tablespoons butter (optional)

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Remove the giblets and pour off all but a tablespoon of the fat from the turkey’s roasting pan; leave as many of the solids and as much of the dark liquid behind as possible. Put the roasting pan over 2 burners and turn the heat to high.

　　

Step 2

Add the sherry and cook, stirring and scraping all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has reduced by about half, 5 minutes or so.

　　

Step 3

Add 3 cups of water (or stock if you have it) and bring to a boil, stirring all the while. Turn the heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Stir in the butter if you like and, when it melts, salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve. Strain before serving if desired.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.