Master the art of making great gravy

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without gravy, and it’s not as difficult to make as your mom made it out to be. The secret lies in building flavour,

so get roasting! Turn the page to make the best gravy of your life.

TURKEY GRAVY

Serves 8

EASY

GREAT VALUE Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking: 20 minutes

white wine ½ cup (optional) tomato paste 2T cake flour 2–3 T

1 After cooking the turkey, the roasting pan should contain rendered fat and juices. 2 Place the roasting pan over a medium heat, then stir through the wine and tomato paste. Once most of the wine has reduced, add the flour and mix. Cook for 1 minute, then add hot water, stirring continually. Simmer for 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary. 3. If the gravy is not at the desired texture after simmering for a while, add a little more flour, mix through and cook for a bit longer. 4 Pass the gravy through a sieve, then check the seasoning. Serve with the turkey. Cook’s note: This recipe will also work with chicken, beef or pork.

MAKE-AHEAD GRAVY

Serves 6 to 8

A LITTLE EFFORT

GREAT VALUE Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking: 30 minutes

vegetable oil 1T free-range chicken wings 500 g large onion 1 (unpeeled), coarsely chopped large carrot 1, peeled and coarsely chopped celery stick 1, coarsely chopped rosemary, thyme and/or bay leaves a small handful dry white wine 1 cup chicken stock 6 cups (or more) unsalted butter 3T flour 2T

Worcester sauce ½t sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Cook the chicken wings, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 10–12 minutes. 2 Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring and turning the wings often, until everything in the pan is deeply browned, about 14–16 minutes. Add the herbs and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. 3 Pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape off any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Bring to a boil and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by a third, about 35– 40 minutes. 4 Strain the liquid through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. (You should have about 4 cups. If you don’t, add enough stock or water to get you there.) Discard the solids. Keep the stock warm while you make the roux.

5 Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking continually, until the roux is golden brown and looks smooth and shiny, about 4 minutes. 6 Whisking continually, gradually ladle the stock into the roux, making sure to incorporate after each addition before adding more. Simmer, whisking often, until the gravy is thickened and reduced to about 3 cups (it should coat the back of a spoon), about 8–10 minutes. Stir in the Worcester sauce,

“THE SECRET TO GOOD GRAVY IS ADDING HOT – NOT COLD – WATER TO THE PAN JUICES AFTER YOU’VE ADDED THE FLOUR” – ABIGAIL

DONNELLY

taste and season. Cook’s note: Gravy can be made five days ahead. Cool, then cover and chill. Reheat over a low heat.

FENNEL GRAVY

Serves 6 to 8

A LITTLE EFFORT

GREAT VALUE Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking: 10 minutes

pan juices from the spatchcocked turkey on page 22 chicken stock 2½ cups fresh fennel 1 large bulb, cubed, plus ¼ cup chopped fennel fronds shallot 1⁄3 cup finely chopped

Pernod (anise-flavoured liqueur) ¼ cup flour 6T dry white wine ½ cup

1 Scrape the pan juices and browned bits from the pan into a 4-cup measuring jug. Spoon off the fat and reserve 1⁄3 cup. Add the stock to the juices to measure 4 cups. 2 Heat the reserved turkey fat in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the fennel cubes and shallot. Sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. 3 Remove from the heat and add the liqueur. Return to the heat and stir for 30 seconds. Whisk in the flour. Cook until the flour starts to brown, about 1 minute. 4 Gradually whisk in the wine, then the stock mixture. Simmer until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Add the fennel fronds and season to taste.

MUSHROOM-ANDTARRAGON GRAVY

Serves 6 to 8

EASY

GREAT VALUE

Preparation: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour’s soaking time Cooking: 20 minutes

dried porcini mushrooms 56 g boiling water 2 cups butter 2T large shallot 1, chopped garlic 3 large cloves, chopped portabellini mushrooms 225 g, chopped shiitake mushrooms 225 g, chopped thyme 1 t chopped sage 1 t chopped dry vermouth or dry white wine 1 cup chicken stock 4¼ cups crème fraîche ½ cup cornflour 5t fresh tarragon 1½ t chopped

1 Place the porcini in a large bowl. Pour over the water and allow to stand until soft, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the porcini to a small bowl. Cool, then chop. Pour the soaking liquid into a bowl, leaving the sediment behind. 2 Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and stir for 15 seconds. Add the fresh mushrooms, thyme and sage. Sauté until the mushrooms are tender, about 6–7 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl. 3 Add the vermouth to the pan and boil for 3 minutes, scraping any browned bits.

Add 4 cups stock, the fresh mushroom mixture, porcini, and porcini liquid. Boil for 10 minutes. 4 Whisk in the crème fraîche. Mix ¼ cup stock and the cornflour until dissolved, then mix into the gravy. Cook until the gravy coats a spoon, about 5 minutes. Season to taste.