Christmas Day gravy NOT NOT NOT Jamie Oliver

[MrsKingfisher]

Had to put not 3 times because someone will suggest his disgusting get ahead gravy!

Either own recipe or shop bought if it's NOT Jamie's, which one do you love?

I'm afraid I do the Jamie one but leave out the star anise and add a chicken stock melt and loads of white wine. It's in the freezer already.
On Christmas Day I simmer the giblets and a turkey wing in a pan with peppercorns, bay leaves and an onion then combine that stock with the Jamie base, the juices from the resting turkey, a spoonful of redcurrant jelly or lingonberry jam and a spoonful marmite and a big tablespoon of cornflour
It's delicious.

I just did Thanksgiving with an Asda turkey and the packaging said to add 500 ml of water to the roasting tin at the beginning, which I've never done before. When the turkey was done I made a roux with flour and butter and added the strained liquid. It was a bit thin so I thickened it up with a small amount of Bisto and it was very nice. Not as rich as roasting tin method but that's always hit and miss for me and this is much less faff.

So I made Jamie Oliver's one last night and despite my earlier protestations it was a bit greasy and didn't taste of anything very much. Maybe the chicken wings were just bland and too fatty. It's in the freezer anyway. I might take Twobrews advice and add a chicken stock melt and some booze with the turkey juices. I really can't be bothered starting again, and I find it too stressful to make it on the day.

I keep my veg water to one side , heat up the pan i cooked the meat in , de glaze ? i thinks its called the juices with the veg water .
I always cook onions around the meat to make gravy more flavoursome , then i just use bisto granules .
Always delicious gravy , much , much better than bisto alone - no comparison .

Beef Gravy Pot + Somerset Pork Casserole Mix + Bottle of Guinness and rosemary. Bring to a simmer, reduce. Let cool, add black pepper and then reheat on the day with any meat juices - makes very thick gravy, no hassle. We eat this with any type of meat, this year will be with Beef Wellington. Can't get the gravy pots in the Middle East due to the gelatin so my mum kindly sets a stash over each Autumn

I want the gravy from toby Carvery, I’d buy that if I could....11pm and all I can think about it a roast dinner 😳

I do too!
How do they make gallons of the stuff?
What is it ? does anyone know?

So many permutations on this thread!

I make it like my lovely mum taught me. Cook meat with onion carrot and celery. Remove meat and veg. Spoon off fat bar one large tablespoon. Move remains into one corner - add two tablespoons flour, mix. Slowly add reserved potato water (from boiling potatoes) , scraping bottom of pan as you go. Heat and stir. Adjust seasoning as needed. (I season the meat well so often don't need extra).

It tastes seriously good every single time.

So I made my gravy last night after cooking a chicken and forgot to take the fat out, sat it in the fridge overnight hoping it would float to the top to skim off but there’s just a normal gravy skin? Do I remove that and hope it’s all the fat? Want to get it in the freezer!

I do make Jamie’s gravy, even though it’s so bloody time consuming.

I omit star anise, make it with chicken thighs instead of wings, and I also boil some green veg and use the water from that along with a decent chicken stock pot and some white wine. It’s lovely.

Lots of good idea here! Can I ask how you skim the fat off the juices, I generally use a spoon but find it a bit fiddly to separate the fat from the juice, any tips, please?

My tip is to add cranberry sauce or blackcurrant jam to gravy, it really helps to give it depth.

@pinkearedcow redcurrant jelly here!

@pinkearedcow

Lots of good idea here! Can I ask how you skim the fat off the juices, I generally use a spoon but find it a bit fiddly to separate the fat from the juice, any tips, please?

My tip is to add cranberry sauce or blackcurrant jam to gravy, it really helps to give it depth.

Re skimming the fat - I tip it all into one corner and then use a tablespoon to skim the top off - the more you have in one deep puddle the easier this is to do.

Will try that ArabellaPilkington, thanks.

NameChangerinDespair - ooh, yes that's a good one.

I do make chicken stock quite often,

So I usually add that to the normal flour on the fat in the roasting tin thing

But recently have discovered using Dark soya sauce as a browning and flavour agent!!! With a good dollop of quince or red currant etc jelly thrown in and a tiny bit of wine vinegar at the end too.... bloody lovely gravy!

I still haven't made any bloody gravy, but..I did buy Schwartz turkey gravy, just incase.

I'm going to try and make one this weekend, I am not a fan of meat juices in my gravy it's just a bit to 'meaty' for me.

Thanks for all your brilliant suggestions!