How can I improve my gravy?

[Dancergirl]

For roast chicken?

My usual method is to use the juices from the chicken, reduce down in a pan and add some bisto granules and a bit of stock. Sometimes it comes out ok and sometimes it's thin and tasteless.

Please share your best gravy tips!

Putting the roasting tin on the hob, pouring in a little white wine or just water and then scraping up the caramelised residue into the gravy is a great flavour enhancer.
Plus there's less gunk on your roaster!

Not an option unfortunately - we have an induction hob!

When you put the chicken in the oven first, add a great sloosh of olive oil all over it, then a bigger swoosh of white wine in the bottom of the roasting tin. Season the bird well.

You can also put the chicken on a 'trivet' - thickly slice an onion and a carrot and put these in the roasting tray and then put the chicken on top of these.

As it roasts, keep topping the liquid up with boiling water. You're not looking for gallons of water so that the chicken poaches, but enough to make a 'jus' afterwards. It will be a 'jus' rather than a gravy as it won't be thick.

But it will taste lovely!

Don't put gravy granules in it - they're horrible and full of all manner of artificial ingredients.

Water from the kettle would be fine for deglazing if you can't put it on the hob.
I agree with BIWI's suggestion of the edible vegetable "trivet" to enhance the gravy. Sweet roasted onions. Yum...

Google Jamie's consistently good gravy. Works everytime.

Drop the granules. They're gross and full of crap.

Mane stock from leftovers if you can. Makes a world of difference.

But a pan that you can do your chicken in and out in the hob. Le creuset will have one. Pricey but gravy matters.

Definitely do veg trivet.

Er...and definitely look at that Jamie recipe!

Sorry - typos - on phone.

I've got an induction hob and have a pan that will go in the oven and on the hob - and was an inexpensive one from John Lewis.

This is my favourite chicken roasting recipe, but with the HFW variation that when you turn the oven down, you chuck in a glass of white wine.

Then when the chicken is resting, reheat whatever is in the pan, scrape all of the stuff off the bottom into it as Sgt says, add some more wine, and then keep it gently simmering for 15 min or so, chucking in some of the water you boiled the potatoes in every so often. It helps to have one of those gravy boats that separates the fat out to serve it.

Get rid of the Bisto granules.

Add shallots, leeks or onions to the roasting pan, then prick the chicken before it comes out of the oven so that the fat and juices run down into the pan, use some to baste the chicken, but while the roast is resting, deglaze your pan, use flour to thicken the gravy, make sure it cooks through thoroughly, use your potato water to make the gravy, and some green veg water if you want more flavour, and add a teaspoonful of gravy browning to make it look less anaemic.

When roasting the chicken I use lots of butter / olive oil and herbs and garlic. Season well. Sometimes put half a lemon in the cavity.

When it's resting. I remove excess fat, put in a tbsp plain four, cook for a minute, then add a bit if wine or noilly prat, then stock. Fresh if I've got it, or a knorr cube in about a pint of water. Mix in and simmer for about 5+ mins.

Lovely!

We often roast veg in the pan too which adds flavour.

I make a roux with the juices and fat from the chicken mixed with some flour, then add a splash of red wine, a spoonful of redcurrant sauce (this makes a big difference I think) and then some stock and lots of seasoning :)

Your biggest mistake is bisto. If you want colouring use an old fashioned gravy browning mixed to a paste with water and plain flour. Add this to your chicken juice together with some vegetable juice from your veggies and stir until it thickens.

Oh and add two onions to your roaster and when chicken is done take them out and push them through a sieve and add to gravy.