Christmas Gravy
Take your Christmas dinner to the next level with this Christmas gravy! Rich, smooth & meaty, this one's also super easy to make.
Servings: 1 Litre
Equipment
- Large Roasting Tin
- Sieve
- Large Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 kg Turkey/Chicken Bones See Notes
- 4 Large White Onions
- 8 Carrots
- 1 Head Celery
- 2 tbsp Goose Fat Or Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 200 ml Port Or Red Wine
- 3 Chicken Stock Cubes
- 8 Sprigs Rosemary
- 8 Sprigs Thyme
- 2 Bay Leaves
- ¼ tsp Black Peppercorns
To Finish
- 3 tbsp Cornflour
- 20 g Butter
- 1 tbsp Cranberry Sauce
- ½ tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- Gravy Browning
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220°c/200°c fan (428°f/392°f).
- Roughly chop the celery, onion & carrots (no need to peel) & place into a large roasting tin.
- Add the turkey/chicken bones to the roasting tray & add in the goose fat. Toss to coat then roast in the oven for an hour or until well roasted, stirring every 20 minutes or so.
- Transfer the roasting tray to a stove set to a medium heat & turn the oven down to 150°c/130°c fan (302°f/266°f).
- Deglaze the tray with the tomato paste & port & allow to reduce slightly.Pour in enough cold water to completely cover the bones & veg then crumble in the stock cubes & add in the rosemary, thyme, bay leaves & peppercorns.
- Place the tray back into the oven & leave to cook for 2½-3 hours, topping up with water every hour.
- Once cooked, pass the stock into a large saucepan through a sieve then place over a low heat & skim any fat from the top with a spoon/ladle.
Finishing
- Once skimmed, increase the heat to medium-high & bring the stock to the boil.
- In the meantime, combine the cornflour with 4 tbsp of cold water, to make a slurry.
- Once boiling, gradually whisk the cornflour into the stock until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (you might not need all of the cornflour).
- Cook out over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly then whisk in the butter, cranberry sauce & balsamic vinegar. If you'd like to give your gravy a dark, richer colour, whisk in a small amount of gravy browning as well.
- Season the gravy with sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper then pass into a jug, through a sieve.
- Serve immediately or leave to cool then store in the fridge. Kept, refrigerated, this will last for a couple of days.
To Reheat
- Place the chilled gravy (it will have solidified) into a saucepan & add in a splash of hot water.
- Warm up over a medium heat, whisking to remove any lumps then serve once piping hot. If the gravy is a little thick, add in some more hot water.
Notes
1. Cooking In An Aga - Roast the bones & veg in the centre of the roasting oven. Deglaze the tray on the boiling plate then cook the stock on the bottom set of runners in the baking, with a cold plain shelf placed 2 sets of runners above. When finishing the gravy, cook on the boiling plate.
2. Turkey Bones - Ask your butcher for a kilo of turkey or chicken bones. Or use a combination of both.
3. Roasting The Bones - Make sure to get a good amount of colour on the bones & veg when roasting them. This is where the gravy's flavour comes from!
4. Port - If you haven't got any port, use red wine. It doesn't have to be an expensive one!
5. Skimming - Before thickening the gravy, skim as much fat off the top as possible.
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