Remember, chicken leftovers from the gravy must only be reheated once, and must be piping hot to serve.
2 hrs plus cooling & defrosting
Not Too Tricky
makes 1 litre
About the recipe
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. This means you can pick out the bones and turn the leftovers into a delicious meal – you’ll find links to 4 brilliant recipes in the tip box. 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.
Ingredients
2 onions
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
2 rashers of higher-welfare smoked streaky bacon
2 fresh bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh sage
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 star anise
10 free-range chicken wings or 3 chicken drumsticks and 3 chicken legs
olive oil
optional: 60ml sherry or port
4 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
Top Tip
If you’ve used the chicken drumsticks and legs, make the most of those lovely leftovers! Once you’ve sieved the ingredients, leave them to cool, then carefully pick through the chicken and discard all the bones and any whole spices and herbs – you need to be very careful here, so put on a Christmas podcast and take your time so you don’t miss any. Then you’re ready to turn them into a delicious meal – try my scruffy lasagne, pastry pockets, mash-topped bake or festive tortilla.
Method
GET AHEAD
1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
2. Peel the onions, wash the carrots, then roughly chop with the celery and bacon. Put the veg, bay leaves, sage, rosemary and star anise into a sturdy high-sided roasting tray, then scatter the chopped bacon on top.
3. Add the chicken to the tray – if you’re using the chicken wings, break them open first and bash with a rolling pin to help release extra flavour as they cook. Drizzle with oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, toss, then cook for 1 hour, or until tender.
4. Remove the tray from the oven and transfer to a low heat on the hob. Really grind and mash everything with a potato masher, scraping up all the goodness from the base of the tray (the longer you let it fry, the darker your gravy will be). If you want to add sherry or port, now’s the time to do so; just leave it to cook away for a few minutes.
5. Gradually stir in the flour, then pour in 2 litres of boiling kettle water. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
6. When the gravy is the consistency of your liking, pour it through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, pushing all the goodness through with the back of a spoon. Taste and season to perfection, cool to room temperature, then pour into containers or bags and pop into the fridge or freezer, ready to finish off on Christmas Day.
7. If you’ve gone for the chicken drumsticks and legs option, don’t discard the leftover mixture in your sieve – see the tip box for delicious ways to use it up.
2 DAYS BEFORE
8. If you’ve frozen your gravy, take it out to defrost in the fridge until needed.
ON THE DAY
9. When the turkey’s perfectly cooked, remove it to a platter to rest for up to 2 hours, covered with a double layer of 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.
10. Pour your defrosted Get-ahead gravy into the tray with the rest of the turkey juices. Bring to the boil over the hob and scrape up all those sticky bits from the base. Have a taste, then stir in the cranberry sauce to balance the flavours.
11. Once your gravy is piping hot, carefully strain through a coarse sieve into a pan, then leave it on the lowest heat until you’re 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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