I don’t know about you guys, but I have a To Do list as long as my arm that needs to be checked off before the holidays... 😩 The one thing that’s helping me feel a bit more relaxed? Knowing that I have already 👏🏼 made 👏🏼 my 👏🏼 gravy!
Whether you’re having a turkey, goose or a roast for Christmas, this gravy is silky, delicious and totally doable.
That’s one less thing to brave the overcrowded grocery store for in a few days, it means one less pot to watch in the rush of Christmas cooking, which means one less worry line on my forehead, which means I won’t have to lie about my age any more than I already do! 😉 So thank you @jamieoliver, for coming up with this amazing Get Ahead Gravy, I salute you!
Really, guys, try this and save yourselves some stress.
xoxo Donata
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
olive oil
60 ml (1/4 cup) sherry or port, optional
4 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
Instructions
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. Break the chicken wings open, bash with a rolling pin to help release extra flavour as they cook, then add to the tray. 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 stove top. 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 (8,5 cups) 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.
ON THE DAY
1. If frozen, take the gravy out to defrost when your turkey goes into the oven.
2. 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.
3. Pour your 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 flavors.
4. 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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