Gravy, anything but JO get ahead gravy

[QueenOfIce]

As per the title really, made Jamie Oliver's get ahead gravy and hated it! Not massive lovers of the meaty tasting gravy, so to avoid Bisto does anyone have any really delicious gravy recipes I can make or buy ahead of time please?

Thank you 🤶🏻

Those little ‘stock pots’, some veggie water and thicken with a little cornflour and a knob of butter. Make ahead of time, reduce and freeze, or if the same day then store it hot in a vacuum flask.

I use the water from the vegetables (and the starch from potato helps to thicken) with a couple of those oval stock pots (vegetable)
I like the Bisto vegetable granuals (in a jar) but not the Knorr liquid (it smells like curry )

JO gravy has about a million ingredients (I've never made it though)

Save your vegetable water and use that to top gravy up on the day
Buy a turkey with giblets, gently simmer giblets for about an hour (on Xmas Eve), with a bayleaf, carrot (whole) and stick of celery (whole). Strain and use as stock

1. Use the juices from the turkey tin when you've taken the bird out to rest. Pour off most of the fat (it's always on the top of the meat juices.
2. Put turkey tin with the juices on the hob
3. Add flour (couple of tbsps) to the tin and whisk briskly as you slowly add the giblet stock and vegetable water as needed
4. Slip in bit of wine if you feel like it! Red or white - whatever you prefer.

I usually save my onion from the bread sauce (also made on Xmas Eve) and put that in the giblet stock overnight, just for additional flavour.

Sorry this isn't about JO gravy - did you put in the star anise?? Mistake!

Thank you, great idea about the thermos too.

I like Gordon Ramsey’s gravy if you were roasting a chicken between now and Christmas you up make it and freeze it.

I’m not sure you need a recipe but -

Cook an onion inside the turkey cavity. Remove and purée with a little chicken stock. Use turkey roasting them tin whilst turkey (or other meat is resting) pour on little chicken stock (Made fresh from previous chicken and frozen or a stockpot). Deglaze. Mix few tablespoons cold chicken stock with cornflour, Worcester sauce or mushroom ketchup and some onion purée. Add rest of stock to deglazed pan.stir through cornflour mix and heat until thickened. Use a bit of cranberry jelly, some parsley or French mustard depending on your preference.

Buy a tub of M&S ready made gravy 🤗

I know it seems appealing to make ahead, but you can't beat real gravy I don't think. As long as you can keep everything else warm, you can make it last when you can concentrate on it. Plenty of good advice about how to make from previous posters, I will only add that mine had a spoonful of red currant jelly and a spoonful of Dijon mustard in it. I sometimes freeze the juices from a roast chicken to add to the turkey gravy for Christmas and making stock from the giblets in advance so you can just add it to the pan on Christmas Day is helpful too.

We dont have a turkey so no giblets, though I have used them in the past...you have to get passed the almost rank smell but simmered with an onion anyhting else you wnat to chuck in makes a good base.

I also agree that the Star Anise kills the JO gravy, gives it a weird taste

I make a very plain chicken stock ahead of time. Basically just bones left over from roast chicken and water, nothing else.

I use it to parboil potatoes and the vegetables for roasting, then reduce it right down. Use that to deglaze roasting tin and then add juices from turkey.

I'm glad someone else didn't rate the JO gravy. Took ages and tasted grim.

I can't imagine making gravy in advance, as with any roast, I make it as the meat is resting and being carved.

I cook turkey (and chicken) with half a lemon in the cavity and some herbs (time is a good one), also some halved shallots under the meat. Then meat out, but keep the roasting tin on the hob, squeeze the lemons, squeeze the shallots out of their skins, pour off the fat, and then deglaze the meat juices with a splash of white wine. I premix some cornflour with water, pour that in, add any veg water, and simmer.

My mother always used to make the gravy in a similar way, and it's what I really remember her always cooking, as we'd all be in the kitchen together eagerly awaiting the roast and watching dad carving and mum gravying.

It's so easy, really no need to make ahead.

Lots of good ideas thank you, I think I'll make a stock beforehand and then make the gravy on the day. Won't be adding turkey juices as we don't like that meaty sort of flavour. Thanks all!

I cannot make gravy. Never have been able to. Made the JO one year in desperation and it was foul (no pun intended)