Christmas gravy
A glossy, well-seasoned gravy for turkey or roast joint, built on stock with a festive splash of wine or port and a shiny butter finish.
This is the gravy you’ll actually want to serve on Christmas Day: glossy, balanced and built to take whatever pan juices your bird has gifted you. A splash of red wine or port gives festive depth without drowning the roast flavour.
Make it on the hob while the joint rests — it comes together quickly and finishes with a baton of butter for that holiday shine. If you’ve got pan juices, the recipe will happily incorporate them; there’s direction in the ingredients note.
Ingredients
- 800 ml chicken or turkey stock — If you have pan juices from the roasting tin, use up to 400 ml pan juices + 400 ml stock and taste before adding salt.
- 60 g unsalted butter — Divide: 30 g for cooking the aromatics, 30 g to finish for a glossy sheen.
- 60 g plain flour
- 1 small brown onion — finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves — crushed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 150 ml red wine or port — port gives a richer, sweeter note; red wine is drier
- 15 ml Worcestershire sauce
- salt — to taste
- freshly ground black pepper — to taste
- 15 g fresh parsley — finely chopped, for finishing
Equipment
- fat separator or large heatproof measuring jug
- fine-mesh sieve
- whisk
Instructions
If you have pan juices from the roasting tin, pour them into a heatproof jug and let the fat separate; spoon or pour off most of the fat and reserve the juices. If you do not have pan juices, proceed with the recipe using the stock as listed.
Melt 30 g unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over a medium hob. Add the small brown onion, garlic cloves, fresh thyme and bay leaf and sweat gently without colouring until soft and aromatic, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the plain flour to make a roux and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes so the raw flour taste cooks out and the mixture turns pale gold.
Pour in the red wine or port and use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the base of the pan. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce by roughly half, about 4 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the chicken or turkey stock in three additions so the mixture stays smooth. Add the Worcestershire sauce, then bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes to marry the flavours.
Continue to simmer uncovered for a further 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy has reduced to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract flavour. Discard the solids left in the sieve.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 30 g unsalted butter until melted and glossy. Stir through the fresh parsley, check seasoning and keep warm until ready to serve.
Tips
- If using pan juices, measure them first and adjust added stock and salt — pan juices are already salty.
- Cook the flour long enough when making the roux; undercooked flour gives a raw taste that can’t be rescued later.
- Strain the gravy for a smooth finish; press the solids with the back of a spoon to extract every last drop of flavour.
- Make ahead: cool completely, refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the hob and whisk in an extra knob of butter before serving.
- To rescue a gravy that's too thin, simmer it slowly to reduce, or whisk a small slurry of plain flour (10 g) with cold water and add gradually while simmering.
Substitutions
chicken or turkey stock → beef stock, same quantity
Stays closeplain flour → cornflour: mix 15 g cornflour with cold water into a slurry and add near the end to thicken
Noticeably differentunsalted butter → olive oil, use same weight
Noticeably differentred wine or port → 50 ml balsamic vinegar + 100 ml stock, if you want depth without alcohol
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 110
- Calories
- 2 g
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 400 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gravy ahead and reheat it?
Yes — cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Reheat gently on the hob, whisking in a knob of butter to revive the gloss.
How do I adjust if my gravy is too salty?
Stretch it with a little more unsalted stock or water and simmer briefly to re‑blend the flavours. A small peeled potato simmered briefly can also absorb excess salt (remove before serving).
Can I use pan juices instead of stock?
Absolutely. Use up to 400 ml pan juices combined with stock (see ingredient note) and reduce added salt. Pan juices add the best roast flavour.
How do I get a really smooth, lump-free gravy?
Cook the flour into the butter first, deglaze with wine while scraping the pan, then add hot stock gradually while whisking. Finish by straining through a fine sieve.
Community Photos
No photos yet
Be the first to share your creation!
