Christmas gravy recipes?

[VillageFete]

Hi,

I’m useless at gravy. I’ve just tried Jamie’s get ahead gravy and have frozen it for Christmas day - it’s nice, but my partner isn’t keen on chicken gravy, he prefers something darker, so i’ll be making another one on the day.

I’m slow cooking my gammon and will be roasting a turkey crown, so will only have meat juices from the turkey.

2 questions-

1. How do I thicken Jamie’s gravy on the day without ruining it? It’s a bit too watery. I have some Bisto gravy powder and also flour but wouldn’t want to ruin it!

1. Any recipes for a nice, rich gravy on Christmas day? He likes red wine in his gravy.

Drain the meat juices into a cup/ bowl. In the same tray the meat is cooked in de glaze with boiling water,not too much. Add half a Knorr stock gel pot( add more later if you want to) add all the meat juices and then thicken with cornflour mixed with cold water ,add salt and pepper.

Oh just saw you’ll be making two gravies...I’m not sure you actually need to, tbh. I’d just add your meat juices to Jamie’s gravy and then add bisto powder or cornflour, maybe a wine stock cube, and some browning. Reduce down a bit and enjoy! Life’s too short to stress yourself out making gravy on the day when you’ve already got one made!🎄

(Or, if he’s so picky about the gravy he can make it...)

I make Delia's citrus and run/ raisin sauce to go with gammon. I could drink the stuff it's so good!!!

@VillageFete

Have bought some Sarson’s gravy browning. Will I ruin Jamie’s gravy if I add a dash of that on the day?!

Don't use that it has a very bitter taste

When you take the turkey out you use the tray stuff take off excess oil first leave about a tbs of oil
Add flour tbs and fry off in the pan add make ahead gravy which should be watery enough to simmer down to a lovely gravy.

Strain off into a saucepan and it can simmer on the side until you need it roughly 25/40 mins

@mumonthehill

It's addictive...I actually plan meals so I have an excuse to make it .

I'm going to be investing in a bottle of gravy browning to make the veggie gravy look more appealing.

IME Gravy browning doesn’t add any discernible flavour unless you use way too much of it. It’s what my grandmother always used and I’ve started using it the past few years when i want to make her sauce(s).

I'm in Germany, does anyone know where I can get gravy granules. Must be called something different here.

Thank you everyone, this is all very helpful!

I’ve just made (my version of) Jamie’s get ahead gravy!

Stage1:
8 chicken legs
2 Carrots
2 celery
2 onions
1 tbs Dried sage
1 tbs Dried Rosemary
1 tsp ground black pepper

Stage 2:
2 chicken oxo cubes
2 beef oxo cubes
4 tbs plain flour
Water to cover

Roast all Stage 1 ingredients in lidded cast iron (oven & hob) roasting pot for 1 hour - take lid off for last 20 mins.

Put on hob and mash up with a potato masher. Stir in Stage 2 ingredients- put water in last.
Put lid back on and simmer for 1 hr.

Push the whole lot through a sieve.
Discard bones etc.

If it is not smooth enough, use a blender.

It is gorgeous but whatever you do, don’t add Jamie’s recommended star anise!
All your hard work will be ruined!

I cook my turkey and beef sat atop a chopped carrot / onion / garlic clove / rosemary. Once it’s cooked I take it out of the roasting dish to rest and put the dish on the hob then I add 1-2 tablespoons of plain flour and mix it all up and cook for 1 minute. I then add a large glass red / white wine depending on the meat and 300-400ml chicken or beef stock. I then cook that until it’s the right thickness and pour through a sieve before serving.

I make it from scratch, but often add a spoon of Bisto onion gravy granules on the sly if it’s not looking tasty enough. Thickens it quickly and adds to the savoury flavour. So I’d do that!

m.youtube.com/watch?v=iYqIF2XkqKU
Is that Noel Gallagher playing guitar in the background?

Sometime during December we have a chicken for Sunday dinner & afterwards I boil the frame to make stock with onion, carrot & celery. I freeze this until it is time to make the Christmas gravy & add the giblets if buying a whole turkey, then pour in to turkey juices, check salt & pepper, I add a spoonful of cranberry jelly & thicken using thickening granules.

I've made Jamie's get ahead gravy. I've done it before but I think I reduced the amount of star anise I used last time as it tastes very aniseedy this time. I'm hoping it balances out when mixed with the turkey juices and a bit of cranberry sauce.

I ALWAYS make "proper gravy" from scratch, even for simple meals like sausage and mash, pie and chips etc. It's such an easy thing to whip up in 5 minutes once you know how to. I always keep any meat juices from roasts in a cup in the fridge. A spoon of that or a few shavings of beef dripping or even bog standard oive oil of you don't have meat fat juices etc. Into the pan. Heat up till sizzling. Turn off the heat. Add some self raising or plain flour (nor cornflour!) And mix with a whisk to make a roux/paste. Crumble 2 oxo cubes in to give some flavour and then slowly add boiling water a bit at a time. Turn the heat back on a low light and stir till it thickens. Using a whisk gets all the lumps out. I then add salt and pepper and you can serve it at that and it will be a nice plain gravy. You can get creative at this point . I tend to add a dash of bbq seasoning, a bit of Worcestershire sauce, and a small amount of balsamic Vinegar. Switch the heat back on and stir for a few seconds until its piping hot. The oxo cubes, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic Vinegar darken the gravy so no need for gravy browning. Trust me, when you taste the result you'll never use bisto granules or packet mix again.

I use giblet stock (from the turkey) which I supplement with veg water (, except sprouts)in the tin the turkey was roasted in.

I then thicken with turkey bisto. I'm always complimented on my gravy

Roasting pan drained of juices, add tbs of plain flour and stir, add the spud water which I reserve, add a knorr chicken stock pot, add a glass of white wine. If you bung an onion in with the bird, quartered, just leave in a caramelised bit and the gravy colours up beautifully.

I used to make stock from the giblets, etc, but the stock pots have got so much better in recent years. I couldn't be pfaffed with Jamie's get ahead gravy. Too much else to do.

Or I buy a couple of pots from M&S. Job done.

I roast the turkey on a base of carrots (halved length ways), onions (loads of them, halved) and a few sticks of celery and whole bulbs of garlic seasoned with salt and pepper. You remove all this from the juices before making the roux (the veg makes a great base for a blended veg soup on Boxing Day).
I also use plenty of butter to baste the turkey and stuff it with sage, a lemon, thyme and more garlic.
This gives me the best flavored ‘base’ for the gravy.
(If you want to do it in advance then you can do a few roast chickens in the same way in the lead up to Christmas and freeze the pan juices/fat).

I make a roux with the pan juices (plus the fat from the pigs in blankets if they’re ready) and 1-2 tablespoons of flour. I then add 1l of good chicken or turkey stock (ideally either homemade or the fresh stuff you get in pouches in the meat section, although stock pots made up with water will also do). Then I add some of the water parboiling the carrots (about 250ml) and a glass or 2 of red wine.
Then I add herbs (usually rosemary, thyme and bay) and garlic.
Then I simmer the whole thing for at least an hour until it’s pretty thick and all the alcohol taste has cooked off. (It’s pretty low maintenance, it just goes on the back hob while the turkey rests and everything else finishes in the oven). I turn up for the last 10-15 minutes if it’s looking a bit thin (or add extra water if it’s getting too thick).

At the end I strain it to remove the herbs and garlic. You can stir though a spoonful of cranberry sauce at this point if you like it. I also taste for seasoning.
If it’s too thin and there’s no more time to reduce it then I add a bit of chicken Bisto!