Gravy..not Jamie Oliver

[QueenOfIce]

I tried his get ahead gravy and thought it was disgusting! Any tips for a really lovely gravy I can make ahead of time please?

Chicken wings roasted until a good deep colour. Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic and fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, sage) for the last 45 mins. Do not season.

Pop into a big stock pot, cover with water and simmer gently for 4+ hours. Strain and freeze.

On Christmas defrost the stock ready and once the turkey is out and resting, pour off most of the fat and stick a couple of tablespoons of flour in. Pour in hot stock, whisking. Season. Done! I use this every year and it is great. Use a cornflour slurry if you want it thicker.

Use the stock off your vegtables and turkey stock cubes the pot ones and then thicken,its amazing my dh is a chef and this is how he makes it for us.

I use bisto, the fine powder not granules.

If I'm making ahead of Xmas day then I'll cook carrots & shallots in some chicken stock, simmer maybe 20 minutes. Drain the liquid off and use this as a base for the gravy. Follow the instructions on the packet. It takes some time and stirring but it tastes great. Fridge for 24 hours. Then I'll add the turkey juices on xmas day.

I second all of the above, a good stock, add the meat juices on the day. The only thing I would say is if you want to use cornflour to thicken, do it on the day as it is not good when frozen and defrosted. I also like Bisto original powder

I use bisto powder as well.

I usually have some chicken or turkey stock in the freezer from things earlier in the year (maybe Thanksgiving, occasionally I still have stock from the previous Christmas turkey - I cook that on 26th Dec).

I also, if I need extra liquid, use the water from boiling carrots.

It's relatively quick to make the gravy:
In a bowl, put the powdered bisto and some cold liquid (stock, plain water, or the wine). Stir to combine.
You can then add this to the pot where you may have already heated the rest of the stock (be brisk with the initial stirring!) or it is still cold. Or you might be doing it in the roasting tin, if you have already got the turkey out and have space on your cooker to do that - and scrape up all the bits from the pan (but do pour off the fat before adding the gravy mix).
Stir through and heat to boiling, stirring all the time. I use a flat whisk for this nowadays as slightly easier, but the wooden spoon is what I was reared using and works fine.

Once the gravy has thickened, I tend to add my wine - a decent splosh to add flavour, and let it gently bubble for 2-3 minutes. And then add the meat juices from the turkey itself for extra flavour.

A cumberland sauce is a good substitute for a classic gravy made with meat juices, try Delia's recipe? You could add some beef or chicken stock made with a stock cube and then reduce to make it a little 'meatier'?

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/british/cumberland-sauce

Bisto powder here.
I prefer a veg stock so I trim the veg, start off in butter to give a bit of colour, simmer and push through a sieve. Use that to deglaze meat tray and thicken with powder.

That should say use the veg trimmings.
Carrot tops and leek ends with onion peel.

I make it how I make roast chicken gravy. Take the turkey out to rest. Take as much fat out of the roasting tin as you can. Put the tin on the hob and stir in a big spoon of flour. Mix it all around for a minute or so. Add chciken stock and boil for a couple of mins. Pour through a sieve and taste for seasoning.

Turkey juices plus turkey gravy granules.

Another shout out for Bisto Powder. NOT the granules, just the old fashioned powder comes in a little box. It's fantastic. Mix it in a cup with a small bit of cold water and then add that to your stock - if you add the powder directly to the stock it will be lumpy and you'll never get the lumps out. Use the juices from the rested turkey too. A blob of redcurrant jelly whisked in at the end gives it even more flavour. I cannot wait for my Christmas dinner!!

Thank you, I usually use the Bisto powder with an oxo cube and veg water. I like it but wanted to give it some 'oomph' for Christmas! I'll add in the turkey juices and a blob of red current jelly. Yum!

We like the Jamie gravy but I don't add the star anise because it tastes shite.
Iv always got lots of home made chicken stock so add that with a slosh of Sherry and some redcurrant jelly and plenty of seasoning

I love the Jamie Oliver but not with star anise.

If your turkey comes with giblets and neck you can use this to make some stock on Christmas eve. www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/gravy-sauces-dressings-and-stock/turkey-giblet-stock

I completely agree!!! I've made it two years ago and because of the star anise it tasted like meaty cough syrup. 🤮🤮🤮🤢🤢🤢 After that I stopped all that nonsense and make gravy with turkey juices on the day.

Does anyone have a make ahead BEEF gravy?

@autumnkate you can pick up beef bones from the butcher for very little.

Roast them in the oven until they’ve taken on colour, then stick them in a stock pot with carrots, onions, celery, garlic, peppercorns, bay & thyme. Simmer gently for 5+ hours.

You can then strain, chill and either freeze this, or roast a joint of beef and make the gravy in full with the stock and freeze that.

I make gravy in the roasting tin, stir some flour in to the juices, cook a couple of mins, then add turkey stock - made with turkey giblets simmered the day before with onion, carrot, celery etc.
I thicken it if necessary with Bistro powder already mixed with water. Taste and season.

Might sound a faff but it isn't, takes just a few mins.

Thanks @MustardScreams!

The Jamie gravy without the star anise is much nicer.

OP you can buy pre-made fresh stock (much nicer than making up stock from a cube or jelly pot thing). All the supermarkets do it. I got mine last year in Lidl it's from their Duluxe range (chicken stock) and I used it as the base for my gravy, adding the juices from the turkey, some Bisto powder and a blob of redcurrant jelly. It was fab. I picked it up again a few weeks ago. But I've definitely seen similar in Tesco and Sainsburys. Just an idea if you don't want to bother with roasting bones and veg etc to make your own stock.

Yes to Lidl Deluxe stock! It’s better than any other fresh bought stock I’ve tried.

I'll look at the Lidl gravy thank you, what we don't want is that really meaty flavour if you know what I mean!

Have made and enjoyed the gravy from this Gordon Ramsay recipe.