For us experiencing the early stages of Autumn in the northern hemisphere, it is a welcoming sign to start making homemade gravy to accompany the many hearty roast meat or nut roast feasts that adorn our dining table. This gravy recipe can be made weeks ahead of your festive or celebratory occasion, as it can be stored away frozen successfully. The addition of cornflour thickens the gravy and best of all, makes it gluten-free.
I can’t begin to tell you how mesmerising the aroma is when preparing this gravy. It smells cosy, earthy, warm and makes you feel hungry!! Make sure you have a dedicated spoon next to the pan to sample more than one spoonful.
This recipe is enough for one family-size roast dinner. Double or triple the recipe for big dinner roasts especially for festive roasts like turkey, goose or beef.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 carrots, cleaned, unpeeled, chopped coarsely
- 2 celery, cleaned, chopped coarsely
- 1 onion, halved, with skin on
- 3 garlic cloves, with skin on
- 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 5 fresh sage leaves
- 3 chicken wings and 2 chicken drumsticks or vice versa (omit for a vegetarian gravy)
- 100g bacon, chopped coarsely (omit for a vegetarian gravy)
- 100ml white wine (substitute for stock, if preferred)
- 100-200ml homemade chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons cornflour
- 2 teaspoons cranberry jam or red current jam
- Sea salt and white pepper, to taste
Step by Step Instructions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
2. Place all the vegetables, herbs, chicken pieces and bacon in a deep roasting tray.
3. Pour olive oil and sprinkle salt & pepper over the mixture and stir.
4. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring half-way through. (Roast vegetarian ingredients for only 35 minutes).
6. Add wine, scraping the bottom of the tray well and allow to reduce for 5 minutes (substitute stock for wine, if preferred).
8. Add stock and reduce slightly for 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Over a low heat, using a potato masher, gently mash the roasted mixture, moving and scraping all the baked residue from the bottom of the pan and mixing it well.
10. Sieve the mixture into a pot, mashing and pressing the vegetables and chicken pieces so that as much liquid is released.
Prepare this gluten-free gravy ahead of time and serve it with my easy gluten-free Thanksgiving meal
