A Proper British Gravy Recipes

A PROPER BRITISH GRAVY

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. Gather and prep your ingredients.
• 3. Add about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil to a pot over medium heat.
• 4. Add the ground beef, and use a wooden spoon to break it up as you cook.
• 5. Allow it to cook for a few minutes; it should still be slightly pink.
• 6. Remove from the pot, and place into a food processor, fitted with an S-blade, and then lightly season with some salt and pepper.
• 7. Give the partially cooked beef a few 1-second pulses, until it's finely ground, but not mush.
• 8. Return the beef to the pot and finish cooking.
• 9. Chef's Note: If you want to skip these steps, you can always have your butcher finely grind the beef right at the store.
• 10. Add the onion and rosemary leaves to the pot.
• 11. Continue to stir until most of the liquid from the onions has been cooked off, about 15 minutes.
• 12. Deglaze the pot using the light ale, and a wooden spoon.
• 13. Chef's Note: Deglazing a pan utilizes a liquid (wine, beer, broth), to soften up and incorporate those yummy dried bits of flavor stuck to the bottom of the pan (called fonds) back into the recipe.
• 14. Cook until slightly reduced in volume, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• 15. Add the flour, dry mustard, jam, and vinegar to the two cups of water and whisk to combine.
• 16. Add the water and the beef stock to the skillet, and reduce heat to a simmer.
• 17. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until nice and thick.
• 18. Chef's Note: During this time, season with more salt and pepper, to taste.
• 19. Chef's Tip: I like to add a pinch of cayenne (especially in the cold Winter months) for a bit of a kick.
• 20. After 30 minutes add the gravy to a food processor fitted with an S-blade, and pulse until smooth.
• 21. Return to the pot, and keep warm until ready to use.
• 22. PLATE/PRESENT
• 23. Chef's Note: Serve this over just about any beef, to add a bit of dimension to the dish.
• 24. In this example, I use it with some homemade meatballs as an alternative to the traditional Italian tomato sauce that would normally be used. These will be one of my New Year appetizers. Enjoy.
• 25. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

ONION GRAVY FOR BRITISH BANGERS AND MASH

Steps:

• Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in the melted butter until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and cook until onions are caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
• Stir flour into the caramelized onions and cook for 1 minute.
• Pour red wine, chicken stock (see Editor's Note), Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce into the onion mixture; simmer until sauce is thickened, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

CLASSIC ROAST CHICKEN & GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Have a shelf ready in the middle of the oven without any shelves above it.
• Scatter 1 roughly chopped onion and 2 roughly chopped carrots over the base of a roasting tin that fits the whole 1 ½ kg chicken, but doesn't swamp it.
• Season the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, then stuff with 2 lemon halves and a small bunch of thyme, if using.
• Sit the chicken on the vegetables, smother the breast and legs all over with 25g softened butter, then season the outside with salt and pepper.
• Place in the oven and leave, undisturbed, for 1 hr 20 mins - this will give you a perfectly roasted chicken. To check, pierce the thigh with a skewer and the juices should run clear.
• Carefully remove the tin from the oven and, using a pair of tongs, lift the chicken to a dish or board to rest for 15-20 mins. As you lift the dish, let any juices from the chicken pour out of the cavity into the roasting tin.
• While the chicken is resting, make the gravy. Place the roasting tin over a low flame, then stir in 1 tbsp flour and sizzle until you have a light brown, sandy paste.
• Gradually pour in 250ml chicken stock, stirring all the time, until you have a thickened sauce.
• Simmer for 2 mins, using a wooden spoon to stir, scraping any sticky bits from the tin.
• Strain the gravy into a small saucepan, then simmer and season to taste. When you carve the bird, add any extra juices to the gravy.

PROPER TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Put the onions and carrot in a large pan with the turkey neck (optional). Pour in stock and simmer for 1 hr. Strain to remove the vegetables and turkey, then return the liquid to the pan. (For a textured gravy, remove the turkey and, using a stick blender, blitz carrot and onion into the stock until very smooth.)
• Blend the flour with the white wine or water, then blend this into the stock, stirring over the heat until thickened. Cool, then chill. Will keep for several days or freeze for 1 month. Thaw in the fridge a day ahead. Heat in a pan until piping hot, then add the juices from the turkey and season to taste.