How do I make gravy if I can't put my roasting tin on the hob?

[Dancergirl]

I've never made proper gravy before but am doing a roast chicken and would like to try it.

I vaguely remember seeing recipes involving reducing down the juices from the chicken and adding other stuff.

I have an induction hob so can't put my roasting tin on the hob. I suppose i could just pour it into a pan...? Then what?

Add some water simmer for a few minutes. Bisto powder is good and depending on the amount of juices there are, eg 3/4 of a milk pan - 2 heaped desert spoonfuls of bisto powder into a mug add a small bit of water and mix, then take the pan off the heat and stirring all the while add the mixture until thick. That's what I do anyway

I add all sorts of stuff out of the cupboard. Mint sauce.. tomato ketchup.. soy sauce.. mustard etc .

Scrape as much as you can off the bottom of the roasting tin and pour into the pan along with the juices. If there is lots of fat then you can pour some off and discard. If you have any woody herbs to hand - thyme or rosemary - or perhaps a clove of garlic chuck a sprig or two in the pan.

Heat this through then add a tablespoon or so of flour, stir this constantly until the flour is all absorbed and there are no lumps. Cook for another min or two.

If you have some to hand, a glass of wine is nice to add at this point. Turn heat up so it bubbles and alcohol burns off. Then add stock and simmer until it thickens.

I quite like to finish it with a squeeze of lemon juice (again not essential) and if there are lots of bits in it, pour it into a jug through a sieve before serving. It's much quicker than it sounds, has prob taken me longer to type than it would to do!

HTH!

That's great, thank you. Is it really necessary to strain it? I want to make it as simple as possible!

You can get metal converter plates that go on induction hobs so that you can use non ferrous containers on top.

Have you checked your roasting tin doesn't work on the hob - mine does, it must be steel not aluminium.

I mix up Bisto powder in cold water, then add it to the roasting pan and stir it all in with a wooden spatula, scraping the tasty bits off the bottom of the pan. Then it all gets tipped back into a saucepan and is brought to the boil to thicken the Bisto on the hob. I never strain my gravy - I like the tasty bits! I do however spoon off any excess fat on the surface.

No need to strain no, I just don't like the bits!

You could literally scrape/pour juices into pan. Warm through add flour, stir, cook min or two, add stock and simmer.

The extra bits are worth it if you have them to hand though

Why are people talking about Bisto? The OP is asking about proper gravy.

Bisto has no place in proper gravy. Having said that, chicken gravy can be rather pale without it unless you CBA to brown the flour.

No browning needed for chicken gravy if you throw an onion or two into the roasting dish with the chicken. The onion will caramelise and that will help colour the gravy. I also find a dollop of marmite adds flavour and colour.

My gran used to make proper gravy. No Bisto or anything. It was as runny as hell and wouldn't stick to anything.
Bisto every time here. :) (But never the granules, they're way too salty)

I do what thecapitalsunited suggests with an onion under/around the bird, and then follow shoewhore's method with the flour and stock/vegetable water plus what juices are left on the board after carving. I do it on a gas hob in the roasting tin but it would probably be fine (easier) scraped into a pan. I don't strain. DH considers the bits of roasted onion a delicacy.

I pour a small amount of boling water into the roasting dish which lifts all the sticky scrapings, then pour into a jug. I have a special gravy jug that helps skim all the fat off (think was from Lakeland)

In a saucepan, I make a roux with flour and some of the fat from the jug (which will have risen to the top), then gradually add the juices back in. Also maybe add some potato water. Other than seasoning I don't add anything else usually.

Bisto is vile stuff!

Just a thought - our induction hob doesn't like most of our pans, but for some reason, it's very happy with our roasting tin.

Yours might be too.

If you add some boiling water into the roasting tin after you've taken the chicken out, give it a vigorous stir/scrape to get all the stuck-on bits off the bottom, then pour it into a small pan on the hob, you'll be fine.

Bisto powder is just cornflour with added caramel and a few flavourings.
Bisto granules on the other hand - yuk.

Bisto is just gravy browning, perfectly acceptable in "proper" gravy. Gravy granules or "instant" gravy - no!

Wtaf.. Stock, bisto, oxo etc are not proper gravy and an insult to proper gravy..

Anyway, in with ur chicken cook onion, garlic, carrot, celery and any other cheap/needs using today veg.. When your chicken is cooked before you do anything make sure you have boiling, pan and a spoon to hand.
Put the chicken on a plate, scrape as much as possible with the spoon into a pan. Use the boiling water, only little bits at a time to help scrap off anything left in the tray..
In the pan chuck in some wine, white or rose, they both work.. Season, add herbs add some liquid, you dont need loads say covering about half.. Bring to the boil and let it reduce.. The reducing will thicken it, keep an eye cos it happens really quick. Sieve and use.

I have never seen a recipe for gravy by any reputable cook/chef that includes bisto (or even cornflour for that matter..)

I think Rose wine is an insult to proper gravy

I really don't see the need for people to be knocking other people's choices - I can't use wheat flour, so cornflour would be my choice of thickening agent regardless of whether it is out of a box marked "cornflour" or "Bisto powder".
It's a far finer thickener anyway, you just have to mix it in cold liquid first to avoid it clumping.

No need for snidey comments re. "reputable cooks", frankly.

Thanks all, didn't mean for this to turn into a gravy war!

Anyway, I'm not too fussed about the proper-ness of it all so will just use pan juices, cornflour to thicken, stock and whatever else I have.

The bit I'm worried about is keeping the chicken warm while I'm doing this, co-ordinating it all.

Dancer - put the chicken on a board, cover with foil and then a teatowel or two (or a handtowel) - it will be just grand like that. It's good for the meat to relax anyway.