How to make gravy

Whether you're enjoying a Sunday roast or some pie and mash, gravy is a must have accompaniment when it comes to loads of our favourite dinners.

And while it can be tempting to mix some granules in with some water for a quick gravy, there's no denying that gravy tastes so much better when made from scratch.

There are a number of ways to make gravy from scratch, so we've rounded up some of the most popular methods, including how to make gravy from meat juices, how to make an onion gravy suitable for vegetarians and even a gravy suitable for vegans.

How to make gravy from meat juices

This is the most traditional way to make a gravy for a roast dinner, whatever meat you're having. This easy recipe from Tesco can be served with any roasted meat, and you can add any flavours you like.

Ingredients

1 roast turkey, pork, beef, duck, chicken or lamb

3 tbsp of plain flour

700ml of hot vegetable stock

Flavour variations:

Turkey – 3 cooked chestnuts, 3 tbsp of cranberry sauce

Pork – 3 tbsp of bramley apple sauce, 1 tbsp of English mustard, 200ml of cider/apple juice

Beef – 100ml of madeira, or 200ml red wine

Duck – 3 tbsp of seville orange marmalade

Chicken – 5 sage leaves, 1 tbsp of Dijon mustard

Lamb – 1 tbsp of thyme leaves, 2 tbsp of redcurrant jelly

Method

1. Remove the meat from your heatproof roasting tin, cover and set aside to rest. Using oven gloves, tilt the roasting tin and spoon off all but three tbsp of fat from the meat juices (allow the discarded fat to set before throwing away – don't pour this down the sink). Place the roasting tin over a low heat and use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape off all the sticky meat pieces from the bottom of the tin.

2. Sprinkle three tbsp plain flour into the tin and mix until well blended. Continue cooking, stirring continuously, for two minutes allowing the flour to cook through to make a ‘roux’ (a thickening base for your gravy).

3. Turn off the heat and gradually add 700ml (1 pint) hot vegetable stock, a little at a time, blending well as you go.

4. Turn the heat back on and bring the gravy to the boil, stirring constantly with a balloon whisk until thickened. If you prefer a thicker gravy allow it to boil and reduce for around 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally – you can check the consistency using the back of a spoon.

5. Once the consistency is to your liking season well, mix together and remove from the heat. Pour carefully into a jug and serve.

Flavour variations

Try these tasty twists for different meats:

Turkey – mash three cooked chestnuts into the pan juices at the end of step one, before adding the flour, then proceed as per the recipe adding three tbsp cranberry sauce when adding the stock. Thicken as above.

Pork – add three tbsp of Bramley apple sauce and one tsp English mustard just before you add the stock in step three, and replace 200ml of the stock with cider or apple juice. Thicken as above.

Beef – replace 100ml of the stock with Madeira or replace 200ml with red wine and thicken as above.

Duck – add three tbsp Seville orange marmalade along with the stock. Thicken as above.

Chicken – add five sage leaves to the tin once the fat has been spooned off in step one and cook for one minute over a high heat until golden, then remove with a slotted spoon, before reducing the heat to continue with the recipe as above, adding one tbsp Dijon mustard with the stock.

Lamb – Add one tbsp finely chopped thyme leaves to the tin once the fat has been spooned off in step one and cook for one minute. Continue with the gravy as above adding two tbsp redcurrant jelly along with the stock.

How to make onion gravy

If you're catering for vegetarians or if you don't have any meat juices, an onion gravy is a great alternative that'll still taste delicious. This simple recipe from Delia Online will make a good amount of gravy in no time.

Ingredients

1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped into largish pieces

1 dessertspoon groundnut oil, dripping or lard

1 small knob butter

1 dessertspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 level teaspoon mustard powder

425ml vegetable stock (made with Marigold Swiss vegetable bouillon)

1 rounded dessertspoon sauce flour or plain flour

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Method

1. Place the frying pan over a high heat, add the oil or fat and when its smoking hot stir in the onion with a wooden spoon, keeping them on the move until they are brown and caramelised at the edges which will take about 20 minutes and after 10 turn the heat down to medium.

2. Now add the butter, then, using a wooden spoon, stir in the sauce flour. Stir quickly until all the flour has absorbed then stir in the mustard powder and gradually add the stock to the pan a little at a time, stirring all the while, adding enough stock until you get the thickness you want.

3. Stir in the dessertspoon of Worcester sauce, finally taste, add some seasoning and then let it simmer very gently for about 10 minutes. Pour into a warmed serving jug.

How to make vegan gravy

You can still enjoy gravy even if you're following a vegan diet, and this rich, plant-based gravy from Jamie Oliver will taste delicious on a vegan nut-roast or some vegan bangers and mash.

Ingredients

2 onions

2 carrots

2 sticks of celery

25 g dried porcini mushrooms

olive oil

2 fresh bay leaves

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 tablespoons port

2 tablespoons quality blackcurrant jam

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 teaspoons Marmite

1 tablespoon tomato purée

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1.5 litres organic vegetable stock

Method

1. Peel the onions, wash the carrots, then roughly chop with the celery and porcini.

2. Place in a large pan on a medium heat with a splash of oil and all the herbs. Fry for 25 minutes, or until turning golden, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the port and jam, and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until sticky and caramelised.

4. Stir in the flour, then the Marmite, tomato purée and red wine vinegar.

5. Pour in the stock, then bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer for around 10 minutes, or until thickened and reduced to the consistency of your liking.

6. Pour it through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, using the back of a spoon to push through all that lovely flavour.

7. Taste and season to perfection, cool to room temperature, then pour into containers or bags and pop into the fridge or freezer, ready to finish off on Christmas Day.

8. On the day, if frozen, take the gravy out to defrost when your nut roast goes into the oven, then simply heat through in a pan ready to serve.

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