MasterChef Simon Wood’s Christmas gravy
INGREDIENTS 1kg chicken thighs or wings or a
mixture of the two Olive oil 3 large carrots 2 sticks of celery 3 bay leaves 2 white onions 2 Maris Piper potatoes 1 tsp celery salt 1 small star anise 1 tsp ground white pepper 3 tbsp plain flour 1 large sprig of rosemary, chopped 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped 3 pints of chicken stock 1 large tbsp of cranberry sauce
METHOD When I make my Christmas gravy I like to use a large roasting tray – the biggest I have. I start by pre-heating my oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Take your chicken portions and with a large knife chop into them – just enough to break the flesh but not enough to separate the meat into chunks. Add them to a bowl and coat with olive oil.
Carefully prepare your vegetables. I wash but don’t peel mine. However, what is essential is that they are all cut into a similar size to ensure even cooking.
Next place your roasting tray directly on to the hob to heat up. Once hot, add in a little olive oil and start to add in your chicken, colouring until evenly golden. I find it’s best to do this in small batches to keep the heat in the tray. Once all the meat is browned, add in the remaining ingredients and stir well.
Roast until golden and the meat is easy to pinch away from the bone. This will usually take around 75 minutes at 180°C/ 350°F/gas mark 4.
In a large saucepan, add the stock, rosemary, thyme and sage, and heat gently. Remove the roasting tray from the oven and use two forks to shred the meat into the tray. There’s no need to remove the bones as they will only enhance the flavour. Use a potato masher to crush all the vegetables and then place on the hob over a medium heat and carefully add in the flour, taking time to evenly distribute it. Allow it to cook down on the heat, stirring continuously.
Next add in the chicken stock and allow the gravy to gently simmer on the hob until darker in colour and thickened.
Now you need to refine your gravy. Take a large mixing bowl and place a colander inside it. Very carefully pour the contents of your roasting tray into the colander. Use the back of a large spoon to press any juices through the colander and allow it to stand for five minutes to thoroughly drain.
Next take a sieve over a clean large saucepan and once more pass the gravy through it. Finally stir in the cranberry sauce to give your gravy a nice gentle sweet finish.
Finally all that’s left to do is to check your seasoning and adjust it to taste if necessary. And there you have it, my special and delicious Christmas gravy.
This gravy can be made well in advance and frozen, ready to be brought out for the big day.