Honesty Please! Does everyone make their gravy from scratch and are there any easy (cheating) shortcuts?

[Rainbunny]

I love to cook, and a roast dinner is definitely one of my favorite dishes. I have an awful confession though, for some reason I have never actually made gravy from scratch and I want to do it properly for this weekend's roast. Do I really need one of those fat separator things? I'm hoping that this will be something that looks hard but is actually easy to make.

[jelliebelly]

Life is too short - stick with bistro gravy granules

[Eeeeekyeeek]

I use a fat separator and the water off the veg but also no added salt Bisto and an Oxo or Bovril cube.

Sometimes I'll use cornflour and gravy browning but to be honest I prefer it with Bisto.

It's the only way if you want plenty of gravy IMO.

[WalkingInMemphis]

I don't even know what a fat separater is

I make 'real' gravy and find it really easy. Tip the fat from a roast into a saucepan. Add flour until you have a big gooey lump. Add stock slowly, whilst on the heat, stirring constantly. When it's the right consistency, bring to the boil, add a bit more stock if it's thickened too much, salt, pepper, gravy browning if needed.

What's a fat separator then?

[Tunna]

What meat are you using?

If I do something like beef, I add some sliced onions, carrots, garlic and herbs to the roasting dish and occassionally a glass of wine, but otherwise a beef stock pot and water. 30 mins before serving I leave the meat to rest, strain the stock and pop the juice into the freezer to fest freeze. This solidifies the fat. Then using the fat i heat up and add a spoon of flour and cook the flour off, adding the stock slowly until it thickens up to gravy consistency.

However those new knorr beef gravy stock pots are pretty good, just add to warm water to dissolve and bring to boil. They thicken only slightly add a spoon of bisto granules if you like it thicker

[FrauHelgaMissMarpleandaChuckle]

Bisto here - DCs prefer it damn exMIL

[campingfilth]

I never bother with the fat separator thing i'm not really sure why you'd do separate the fat tbh. I just bung bisto, veg/chicken stock in the roasting pan and let it simmer and thats it. I love my gravy x

[StillSquirrelling]

I grew up with my mum 'making' gravy. She used an Oxo cube and Bisto powder with water from the veg pans. It was revolting.

I make gravy from scratch every time (ditto for white or cheese sauce). It's dead easy. I do recommend a fat separating jug though (I'm a bit of a fat hater and my guts doesn't take to it very well). DH uses corn flour to make his gravy, I prefer to use plain flour to thicken. I deglaze the roasting tin with a little boiled water from the kettle. DH doesn't bother.

We both use the water from the veg pans and we both always add the appropriate Oxo cube - MIL doesn't use Oxo but adds a little Marmite instead.

If it's beef gravy (my favourite) then I'll often add a glug of red wine to it as well.

[Snatchoo]

Same as Memphis here.

We steam or roast our veg so just use a stock cube. A splash of balasamic vinegar is nice for colour and flavour.

I make up the roux with the fat and flour, then put some in the fridge in a bowl. Lasts for ages in the fridge, and then I can have proper gravy with anything.

I have been known to add cream to gravy as well for a truly decadent treat!

[TempusFuckit]

No, you don't need a separator - just tipping the fat into a corner of the pan, letting it settle and skimming it off with a tablespoon will do.

Then, add a sprinkling of flour (and maybe some sneaky Bisto granules too if you're not wholly confident) and put over a very low heat while you mix the remaining fat and juices into something approximating a roux - but be quick rather than thorough as it's easy to burn.

Then add liquid, wine, stock, potato/veg water etc. You can also add extras if it's still not up to standard - redcurrant jelly is lovely with lamb, if you roasted any garlic cloves they can be mashed in too.

If I wanted to make a really lush gravy I would use red wine and some really good quality stock. For a normal Sunday, I use veg water, stock cube and maybe a pinch of Bisto to help it along :)

I'm sure others will have more tips, or be horrified by my methods!

[ClawHandsIfYouBelieveInFreaks]

Use cornflour OP. It's less likely to go lumpy.

If you've done a chicken, tip the fat into a large saucepan, stir it on a middling heat and add a stock pot...those ones in little pots that are like a jelly consistency work best.

Then add some hot water...about half a pint...and then add about 4 tablespoons of flour. Stir ALL the time.

Adjust it with more water or flour to get it to the consistency you want.

You can put 2 stocks in there if you like but begin with one in case it's too salty.

[maras2]

Each to their own.I've done all sorts of gravy making over the last 40 years of marriage and so has DH.What a bloody faff most of it was.Thank God for Bisto Granules.

[listsandbudgets]

I do the same as Memphis except my nan taught me to remove the pan from the heat before adding liquid, stir it in and return it to the heat. She said it stops lumps forming - not sure if its true but my gravy is never lumpy

Sometimes I add red wine to my gravy especially for beef and I've been known to glug in a bit of white if its chicken

[SistersOfPercy]

I add a kettle of hot water to the roasting tin and let everything soak then tip into a saucepan and thicken with a mix of bisto and cornflour.
That is the way my mum did it so I've never known any different really.

[WyldChyld]

I normally make my own! Spoon off a little of the fat but only if there is lots. Bang some flour in, boiling water, sit my roasting tin on the hob with the heat on, couple of Oxo cubes and a slug of Cinzano. No better gravy in the world.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Gravy granules are grim, from scratch every time here (with stock pots if no stock in the freezer). Never cornflour either, it gives it a weird consistency (a bit like gravy granules come to think of it), I always use plain flour.

[Doilooklikeatourist]

I make my own gravy
Take the meat out of the tin , place on carving board , covered in foil
Use a spoon to take the excess fat out of the roasting tin
Add a spoonful of plain flour and cook over heat
Add veg water
Add a drizzle of soy sauce to improve flavour and colour
Pass through a sieve into a saucepan , boil for a couple of minutes
Adjust seasoning and serve

[Turquoisetamborine]

I just cook the meat with whole garlic, herbs and an onion so it's melted to almost nothing and caramelised.

Skim the fat from the roasting pan.

Add bisto and more water, not too much.

My gravy is heavenly.

[Ginrummy]

I make my own gravy pretty much how pps have said but one thing I've found, the longer it has to simmer, the better it tastes.

[petswinprizes]

I always make gravy, but with a couple of cheats. Roast the meat, while it is roasting, defrost the gravy from the previous appropriate roast dinner and use that - less to prepare and you can be more social if you have guests.

After the meal I make gravy for next time. I use a fat separator jug as I don't like greasy gravy, and the water from the veg to de-glaze the pan, add a little bisto to thicken, and into the freezer for next time.

[Hassled]

Life is not too short to make your own gravy, and it really is easy. I tip the roasting tin a couple of times during cooking, and don't bother separating the fat. Just put a couple of tablespoons of the juices/fat in a pan with a bit less in volume of flour. Stir like a madwoman till you have a paste (I use a hand whisk), then add the rest of the juices slowly, a bit at a time, still whisking, then once it's sort of liquidy you can throw in some wine, then some stock until it looks like you have enough. Bring to the boil and it will thicken.

[SirChenjin]

No - bistro gravy granules every time.

[SirChenjin]

bisto even

[EveDallasRetd]

I do pretty much the same as most people here: whatever joint I am cooking is roasted sitting on a carrot, onion, garlic cloves and an apple if cooking pork.

Meat out and resting for an hour.

Put the roasting tin on the hob and add veg water - I also add white wine if chicken, Apple juice if pork, cranberry if Turkey or lamb and red wine or redcurrent juice if beef. Bring up to the boil stirring all the time.

Pour into a jug through a sieve - I do use a the Bisto fat seperater jug (it's brill), but you could add ice cubes to the jus which the fat will stick to.

Into a saucepan and back onto the hob, then thicken using cornflour or McDougalls Thickening Granules (easier and quicker I think).

If the meat hasn't yeilded much juice/fat then I might add stock or a stock cube, (slow cooked meat gives more) but otherwise the gravy is all about the meat rather than Bisto!

[IgnoreMeEveryOtherReindeerDoes]

Bisto gravy powder is my friend.

[simbacatlivesagain]

I cook everything from scratch except gravy. Live is too short! .Waitrose gravy and add the meat juices- simple.