Gravy is one of the most underrated and important parts of any Christmas dinner - a moist piece of turkey and all the trimmings isn't the same without the golden condiment.
If you are planning to create your own gravy this year, then getting ahead of the game could be the secret to the tastiest version yet.
Thankfully, Jamie Oliver has shared his gravy recipe that you can make up to two days before Christmas, and can be frozen or refrigerated so it is kept good for December 25.
Jamie said on his website: "Good gravy has the power to transform, or even save, a meal. Open your mind to a slightly radical idea: make your gravy a few days, or even weeks in advance, simply reheating it in your turkey tray on the Big Day.
"To reduce food waste, I’ve updated my classic Get-ahead gravy recipe to give you the option of swapping out the chicken wings for drumsticks and legs.
"So it’s really up to you on the chicken front – either way you’ll still have your epic gravy in the bag (and in the freezer), ready for Christmas Day."
Read on below to find out how to make Jamie's festive gravy, and how to defrost it for the big day.
Jamie Oliver's get-ahead Christmas gravy recipe
Makes one litre of gravy
Ingredients
- Two onions
- Two carrots
- Two sticks of celery
- Two rashers of smoked streaky bacon
- Two fresh bay leaves
- Two sprigs of fresh sage
- Two sprigs of fresh rosemary
- Two star anise
- 10 chicken wings or three chicken drumsticks and three chicken legs
- Olive oil
- 60ml sherry or port , optional
- Four tablespoons of plain flour
- Two tablespoons of cranberry sauce
Method
- Begin by preheating the oven to 180C, then peel the onions and wash the carrots, before roughly chopping them alongside the bacon and celery.
- Stick these chopped veggies onto a roasting tray next to the rosemary, sage, bay leaves and star anise, sprinkling the bacon on top of it all.
- Add the chicken to the try - if you are using wings, break them open first and bash them with a rolling pin to allow them to release extra flavour as they cook. Drizzle with oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, toss around and then cook for an hour - or until tender.
- Remove this tray from the oven and transfer to a low heat on the stovetop. Grind and mash up everything with a potato masher, scraping up all the cooked flavour from the base of the tray. The longer you cook this on the hob, the darker your gravy will be.
- Add sherry or port now if you wish, to let it cook away for a few minutes before stirring in the flour and two litres of boiling water.
- Simmer this down for 30 minutes, or until thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally. When the gravy is the perfect consistency for you, pour it through a sieve into a large bowl, pushing through flavour with the back of a spoon.
- Taste and season as required, before leaving to cool to room temperature. Then, pour your gravy into containers or bags, and pop it into the fridge or freezer - ready to be added to a pot and heat up on Christmas Day.
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How to prepare your on December 25
- Once your turkey is cooked to perfection, remove it from the oven and onto a platter to rest for up to two hours, covered with tin foil and a clean tea towel. Skim away most of the fat from the tray, cool, and place into a jar in the fridge for tasty cooking another day.
- Then, grab your defrosted gravy and pour it into the tray that held the turkey, bringing to a boil over the hob and scraping up all the sticky flavour from the base.
- Have a taste, then stir in the cranberry sauce to balance the flavours. Once the gravy is piping hot, strain it once again through a sieve into a pan, and leave it on the lowest heat until you are ready to serve.
- Skim away any fat that rises to the top, and add any extra resting juices from the turkey before serving.
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