CALLING GOOD GRAVY MAKERS/CHEFS

[IShitChristmasGlitter]

I want to do some prep for Christmas...

Now heres the thing I can cook am a bloody cook at that but my gravy is a little crap my MIL makes the gravy on Christmas day with the lamb juices ect but theres only ever a small amount of it.

I asked years ago about good roasties on here now I make the best roasties because of it.

Anyway...am going to do jamies get ahead gravy this week maybe havent decided if I want to make that yet.

I was thinking trying to do something similar with lamb instead in Morrisons they sell raw lamb bones with plenty of meat on would this work maybe roast them with some veggies and do the same kind of thing as get ahead gravy?

Would this work maybe I need to make good gravy.

I've never tried Jamie's gravy.

I find with lamb you need to scrape the fat from the stock. It's hit or miss but sometimes the fat gives it a musty taste so I never risk it.
I know it may be cheating a bit but buy some Bisto powder. You can mix it with cornflour but the bisto gravy powder has a bit of browning in to stop it looking pale.
I've used most bones for stock but prefer lamb necks, you seem to get better jelly.

Bisto tastes awful. Really, don't do that. There's no point at all if you want to make it ahead anyway.

You could make lamb gravy by browing the bones, yes. Low oven, slowly, chuck some onion/herbs in towards the end. I'd then deglaze the pan with red wine or marsala and water. Then put the liquid in the fridge, and once it's cold it'll naturally separate into a dark jelly and the fat on the top. That'll give you a clear gravy, if that's what you want. Or if you like it with more body, keep the onions you roasted with the meat. Make sure they're not burned or dry at all then whiz them up in the blender and stir them through the jelly as you reheat it, and you get a nice onion flavour in there too.

I've done Jamie's and it's great, I don't see why it wouldn't work with lamb bones for flavour. Don't add bistro though!

No no no.
No.
Not bisto gravy granules! Devil's work.
Powder.
Bisto gravy powder, the would stuff is brown cornflour it's just thickening.

Old not would

TheQueef is right, you need Bisto Powder which is a completely different product altogether to the yucky Bisto Granules. The powder has been around for donkeys years and my MIL, who makes THE BEST gravy in the world, only ever uses the juice off whatever meat she's cooking, some water and Bisto Powder. Even if I was to go all Jamie on it and roast veg with bones to make a stock etc etc I'd still have to finish it all off with some Bisto Powder. This is your secret ingredient! It works with any meat.

Am I the only one who doesn't understand this Bisto granuals hate? It sounds like gravy snobbery to me

ok bisto powder is on the list...

maybe buy some lamb of some sort something fatty to give off a good amount of fat??

cook meaty bits leave to cool scrap the fat from the top add to pan with stock then bisto powder would that work? then on christmas day add meat juices from the huge leg of lamb ive got for the dinner?

I have made chicken gravy before with the fat flour and stock was so so pale but some soy sauce in for colour but it was very salty tasted ok though....see told you my gravy is shite.

Gravy browning is your friend. I'd brown the bones. Then boil them and make stock. Not made Jamie's.

Ooh following this thread , i need tips too but soy sauce in gravy OP ? seriously you need help
😂

Nothing wrong with using soy - adds colour, but you do need to careful that it isn't too salty. Browning the bones helps the colour. Gravy browning is just caramel. You could use stout as some of the liquid for depth of flavour and colour.

I am also a fan of Bisto powder. It really does make the best gravy. The granules are yuk.

From the lamb bones keep the jelly and liquid but the yellow hard bit scrape off.
I use veg water as extra liquid if I'm short.
That's my gravy. You add bisto powder a tsp to a bit of COLD water to pour into the hot gravy to thicken it up.
I prefer to let the bisto cook for twenty minutes because it makes glossy gravy.

I made Jamie's get ahead gravy last weekend, it was good but it was REALLY good once I added in a white wine stock pot thingy.

I put the roasting tray on the hob, chuck in a massive blob or three of red currant jelly, shed loads of red wine, thicken with normal flour and then separate off the fat at the end. Delicious!

Soy is fantastic in gravy it adds saltiness and colour particularly in a pressure cooker

I make a sort of hybrid gravy.

I scrape the meat juices, remove excess fat then add a tbsp flour to the meat juices and what's left of the meat fat. Cook for a minute, then add stock (or veg water and a glass of wine. If I have no stock, I use a stock pot or a stock cube. Sometimes I add redcurrent jelly, which I make in the summer.
Then cook it a bit and that's it. If I have no redcurrent jelly, I use cranberry or crab apple. It doesn't really matter in such a strong sauce.

All that said, we don't have lamb often, so this recipe is mostly used for other meats.

Interesting to hear that powder bistro is ok. I didn't know it existed and I agree the granules are vile.

I have made an modified version Jamie's gravy for the last couple of years. I make it on Christmas eve after picking up the turkey and use the giblets for the meaty flavour rather than the chicken wings that are in the recipe. I don't usually add the streaky bacon either. I basically boil them up and simmer in a big pot of water for hours adding most of the other bits that Jamie's recipe uses. I taste regularly and add seasoning as needed.
I always get someone else to taste it too once I think it's about done. I think sometimes you get "taste blind" and a second opinion is always good.

Good chicken stock actually works really well in stretching lamb juices for gravy.

I always make a mint saucy lamb gravy, adding balsamic vinegar and lots of dried mint. It's delicious.

The old bisto adverts used to say ‘bisto browns, seasons and thickens all in one go...’ - ie it adds dark colour, a bit of saltyness (doubtless was MSG in the olden days), and starch to thicken. Ingredients are ‘Potato Starch, Salt, Wheat Starch, Colour (E150c), Yeast Powder (contains Barley), Onion Powder.’ Its designed to be used with meat juices and vegetable cooking water (and a good glug of wine in my mum’s gravies) for the flavour.

I use the meat juices, knorr lamb stock cube, red currant jelly and cornflour to
thicken.

I recall you could get bottles of gravy browning that's essentially a colouring agent. Which would work for me as I tend to use neat juices with a stock cube and cornflour for my gravy, plus a dash of wind sometimes.