Everything you need to know about making gravy

Christmas, with all its joys, can also be stressful, especially if you’re hosting. In the run up to the big day, it’s natural to want to do as much ahead as possible, and we’re here to tell you that gravy is one of those things. Abigail Donnelly’s recipe below uses the basic technique of a roasted stock thickened with a roux, meaning you can store this in the fridge for up to five days ahead of time.

Ingredients:

• 1 T vegetable oil
• 500 g free range chicken wings
• 1 large onion (unpeeled), coarsely chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 celery stick, coarsely chopped
• Rosemary, thyme and/or bay leaves a small handful
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 6 cups chicken stock (or more)
• 3 T unsalted butter
• 2 T flour
• ½ t Worcester sauce
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Cook the chicken wings, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 10–12 minutes.
2. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring and turning the wings often, until everything in the pan is deeply browned, about 14–16 minutes. Add the herbs and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape off any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about five minutes. Add the stock and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by a third, about 35 – 40 minutes.
4. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. You should have about four cups. If you don’t, add enough stock or water to get you there. Discard the solids. Keep the stock warm while you make the roux.
5. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking continually, until the roux is golden brown and looks smooth and shiny, about four minutes.
6. Whisking continually, gradually ladle the stock into the roux, making sure to incorporate after each addition before adding more. Simmer, whisking often, until the gravy is thickened and reduced to about three cups (it should coat the back of a spoon), about 8–10 minutes. Stir in the Worcester sauce, taste and season.

Cook’s note: Gravy can be made five days ahead. Cool, then cover and chill. Reheat over a low heat.

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Any basic gravy recipe will tell you that pan drippings from the bird can make or break your sauce. Those little bits stuck to the bottom are nuggets of flavour that you don’t want to lose. So how to ensure you maximise all the drippings in the pan? Roast your bird in a pan that’s also safe to use on the stove. Something that you’re able to remove from the oven and pop straight onto a burner. This means that once you remove the roast from the dish to rest, you’ve already got all the flavour bombs sitting in the pan you’re using to make the gravy. Genius.

Have you got the gravy ready to go but finding it a little bland? The tricky thing with gravies is that their flavour can rely on the drippings from the pan, and when things don’t taste right it can be confusing to know how to fix it. If you’ve got to the finishing stages and you’re not happy with the gravy’s flavour, there are one or two flavour boosters you can fall back on. Worcestershire sauce is an obvious aid, but if you don’t have that, soy works just as well too. These are also great because they can improve the colour as well as the flavour – giving the gravy that rich shade. These will add a deep savoury saltiness, but if you find the gravy needs some brightness, a splash of white wine vinegar or some lemon will do the trick.

 

Adding more fresh herbs such as thyme and rosemary will also help to improve the all-round flavour. Lastly, whatever you do to tweak the flavour, make sure you finish your gravy with some butter. Once you’re happy with the flavour, take it off the heat and whisk in a tablespoon or two, tasting as you go. This will meld the flavours together and take away any harshness.

If the meaty gravy isn’t your problem, and you’ve got a vegetarian coming for dinner, it might not be acceptable to expect them to pour chicken juices all over their vegetables. The good news is a vegetarian gravy is pretty easy to make. Using dried mushrooms, onions and a good veg stock, you’ll have a delicious sauce in no time. If the addition of the crème fraîche below sounds too extra, you can omit it and whisk in butter instead. If you find you also need to correct the flavour of this gravy, use soy in place of Worcestershire as it’s not vegetarian.

Ingredients:

• 56 g dried porcini mushrooms
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 T butter
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 3 large clovesgarlic, chopped
• 225 g portabellini mushrooms, chopped
• 225 g shiitake mushrooms, chopped
• 1 t thyme, chopped
• 1 t sage, chopped
• 1 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
• 4¼ cups chicken stock
• ½ cup crème fraîche
• 5 t corn flour
• 1½ t fresh tarragon, chopped

1. Place the porcini in a large bowl. Pour over the water and allow to stand until soft, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini to a small bowl. Cool, then chop. Pour the soaking liquid into a bowl, leaving the sediment behind.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and stir for 15 seconds. Add the fresh mushrooms, thyme and sage. Sauté until the mushrooms are tender, about 6–7 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.
3. Add the vermouth to the pan and boil for 3 minutes, scraping any browned bits. Add 4 cups stock, the fresh mushroom mixture, porcini, and porcini liquid. Boil for 10 minutes.
4. Whisk in the crème fraîche. Mix ¼ cup stock and the corn flour until dissolved, then mix into the gravy. Cook until the gravy coats a spoon, about 5 minutes. Season to taste.

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