No-waste gravy

Overripe tomatoes and their skins, mushrooms, herb stalks, leek tops and celery leaves can all be frozen and added to this gravy to give it more flavour.

SERVES 6 8 PREP 10 mins COOK 1 hr EASY

3 tbsp sunŠlower oil

1 reserved chicken backbone (see recipe, left), chopped or snapped into pieces reserved carrot trimmings and

peelings (see left), Šinely chopped ½ large onion, plus the skin of the onion (you’ll use the other half in the bread sauce recipe on p38) 1 tsp caster sugar

3 tbsp plain Šlour

1 tbsp soy sauce (optional) 100ml wine, port or sherry

(or use water)

2 chicken or beef stock cubes

or pots

1 Heat the oil in a wide, shallow pan over a medium heat and spend at least 10 mins browning the chicken backbone pieces – the darker the colour, the more flavour the gravy will have. Add the carrot trimmings, onion and onion skins, and cook for 3-4 mins over a high heat until well browned. Scatter over the sugar and cook until everything starts to caramelise, then tip in the flour and cook to a sticky, light brown paste.

2 Splash in the soy sauce, if using, then pour in the wine or water and simmer for a few minutes until reduced and thickened. Stir in 1 litre water from the kettle, add the stock cubes and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 40 mins, then sieve into another saucepan and season to taste. Stir in any resting juices from the roast chicken (see recipe, left). Reheat when ready to serve. Can be made a day ahead and chilled, then reheated the next day.

PER SERVING (8) 126 kcals • fat 8g • saturates 2g • carbs 8g • sugars 2g • Šibre 0.3g • protein 2g • salt 0.9g