Tasty gravy, just how?

[TwinsPlusAnotherOne]

Disclaimer. I can cook. Apart from two things which are always awful. Homemade curry. And gravy. And I'd love a good gravy for Christmas dinner.

I've tried Jamie's gravy (all those chicken wings what a bloody faff) and it was nothing more than ok. Tried shop bought from Cook, and it got binned it was so bad. Tried a Mary Berry one which called for cranberry jelly or something like that and it was wincingly sweet. And packet gravy, well, is packet gravy... although my best efforts have used this as a base, and added veg water and meat juices. Still really meh.

Let me into the secret please!

No the bottom inch of the meat starts off in the water, as it cooks the amount of water reduces and the meat still roasts at the bottom, the water and the meat juices etc combine to a thin gravy type liquid in the bottom of the roasting dish which I pour out into a saucepan and then add cornflour that's been mixed with water.

I've faffed about with vegetable trivets etc and found it makes no difference. I just bung the veg in the water along with the meat if I'm wanting roasted veg as well.

once I've tipped the gravy out and taken the meat out to rest the veg goes back into the oven with a drizzle of honey, the roast potatoes are nearly ready and I put the Yorkshire puddings in at that time too and it all gets cooked on a high heat for the last 15 mins.

At Christmas I tend to just chuck all the peelings in (of the nice veg), the innards and some celery.
Then strain and add instant 😂

Buy ready made from True Foods
made in Ripon- sold in Fortnums
Just add the meat juices- cant beat it and I spent 30 wasted years making gravy

https://truefoodsltd.com/

I know it's bad but I honestly just fry up some onions and add it to Bisto and I've never had a complaint.

(but make the Bisto quite a lot thicker than it says on the packet!)

I use Aldi beef or chicken gravy granules, half teaspoon of vegetable bouillon, and the water from the carrot and swede makes it slightly sweet. Easy and delicious.

Flour into the meat juices mix to a paste add water and an oxo cube.

Hopefully you can make a roux now after this thread but if you are still struggling, you can buy thickening granules in the supermarket that are foolproof 😂

For Christmas, when I need gallons of gravy for the turkey, I use chicken stock I've made from leftover roast chicken carcasses and frozen. Just keep it simple - chicken, an onion, a carrot, a leek, a few herbs, clove of garlic, a glug of wine and water... Then thicken it on the day, maybe add the juices from the pan but I am not a fan of turkey gravy so I don't bother if we are having turkey.

Yes, there's lots of things I make where the recipe calls for a roux. Why I thought that solely gravy called for me to sieve the flour into the liquid, is beyond me.

I would add loads of things to boost the taste, but could never understand why there was an underlying taste of ick. That would be the uncooked flour. What a dunce. It's almost as if there were little clumps of it floating in the gravy to alert me to this

My super quick and delicious gravy.

Fry an onion until soft. Add garlic and cook for a minute. Add a stock cube to match your meat (chicken for chicken etc) with half cup of water and the same of wine.

Once the cube is melted add a heaped tsp of chutney/redcurrant jelly/quince jelly/cranberry sauce. Something sweet and tart.

Stir until its mixed well (acouple of mins) add bog standard onion gravy granules slowly until you get the right consistency. Cook off the wine for a few minutes if you like. Season to taste add more water if flavour too strong.

So, fat and meat juices in tin, add flour and mix with a whisk - helps break up lumps and scrape the caramelised bits off the tin.

use a whisk - it helps!

Good luck OP - may your gravy be browned and delicious!

M&S beef gravy for me, just needs to be warmed in the microwave. I’ve made gravy so many times from scat h and I just really like the M&S one! My mum (who has made a roast every Sunday for 50+ years and always made gravy from scratch) absolutely raved about how lovely my (M&S) gravy was, until she realised it was shop bought and then never mentioned it again!

I made gravy tonight which was delicious.

My dd is veggie so no meat juices.

Large blob on butter in a pan, fry an a chopped red onion for around 5 mins, add couple of heaped spoonfuls on plain flour and stir into a paste.

Add red wine slowly and keep stirring, add as much as you want!

Add water until you get the consistency you want.

Add large teaspoon of marmite and a stock cube.

It's really nice 👌

This is the Christmas gravy Jamie Oliver recipe we follow op. It’s just made from what’s left after sitting your Turkey on a load of veg and giblets while the Turkey is roasting. We add a glug of port usually. It does need a spoon of cranberry or redcurrant jelly for a bit of sweetness.

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/turkey-recipes/christmas-day-gravy/

Regular gravy from roasts is similar. Sit the meat on some onions, celery carrots (onion and mushrooms is nice for pork). When the meat is out and resting put the pan on the hob. Add some wine and some water or stock. Scrape up the burned bits as it simmers. Add a bit of flour or cornstarch mix to thicken. Add a bit of redcurrant jelly. Sieve it through a colander and let it simmer til you use it. If you don’t want to thicken it that way then blitz the veg in with the liquid and that will thicken it and add extra flavour.

Despite what other say, I’ve often added the flour “slurry” towards the end of cooking as well as dry at the beginning, just adding a little splash at a time and stirring like a loon to mix it in, waiting between additions to see how much it thickens as it heats. It’s always worked fine either way.

I know you said you'd tried the ‘Jamie’ gravy, but play about with it and it is fantastic.

I cook it weeks before and freeze. We eat the chicken wings from it as a tea!
I've found adding smoked bacon lardons, some English mustard and lots of sweet potato works. I also stir in a little cranberry sauce.

Kids say my gravy is the best thing about Christmas dinner!

Always, always use a vegetable trivet. For a turkey I would use a couple of onions, couple of carrots, whole head of garlic, celery, maybe even a parsnip or two … when the turkey is cooked, lift off then stir the flour into the cooked veg and fat, add stock ( turkey stock or even chicken stock pot) and reduce. Always works, always fab.

Drain the meat from the juices and add a couple oxos and a spoonful of bistro "best" lower salt gravy powder