Christmas Gravy – Get Ahead – Jamie Style-ish
How do you make Christmas gravy?
This Christmas gravy is well worth the small amount of effort — rich, deeply flavoured and perfect to make ahead. It’s adapted from Jamie Oliver’s get-ahead gravy, with a few tweaks to suit my taste. I’ve simplified some ingredients and left out elements like sherry and cranberries, keeping the focus on savoury, roasted flavour.
Yes, it’s a little messy to prepare, but the caramelised, crunchy bits you get from roasting are what make this gravy so tasty. Do it once ahead of time, freeze, and you’ll be grateful on the big day.
Make ahead, get ahead gravy
The great thing about this recipe is that you can make it in advance and freeze it, ready to finish with turkey juices on Christmas Day. It’s made primarily with chicken wings, which are inexpensive but deliver excellent, gelatinous flavour. Using wings to build the base for turkey gravy might sound odd, but it works brilliantly — then you simply add turkey pan juices on the day to make it truly special.
Please avoid the watery, supermarket chilled gravy or powdered granules for your Christmas roast — make the effort and serve something homemade. If you roast this earlier in the week, all the hard work and mess are done, leaving you relaxed when it’s time to serve.
Pick an evening when you’re in the kitchen and get this done. It looks rustic and a bit chaotic on the tray, but that’s exactly where the flavour comes from.
Once you’ve roasted and strained everything, all the washing up is finished. On Christmas Day you won’t be frantically looking for gravy or making it from scratch — just reheat and finish with turkey juices.
Christmas Gravy – Get Ahead… it makes total sense
This is a practical, delicious make-ahead gravy. Defrost it (remember to take it out of the freezer on Christmas Eve) and warm it gently in a saucepan. Add some turkey pan juices and bring to a boil, scraping up any sticky bits from the roasting tray for extra depth. Ensure it’s piping hot when served.
The gravy benefits from finishing with the actual turkey juices, which lift and marry the flavours. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve immediately.
Other Christmas recipes
If you like this make-ahead idea, try pairing the gravy with a homemade stuffing — my dad’s recipe is a favourite and works beautifully alongside this gravy. Also give Brussels sprouts a moment in the spotlight with an easy recipe to make them delicious.
Feel free to freestyle a little once you’re confident with the method. Enjoy — this gravy really is worth the effort. Happy Christmas!
Big love,
Cx
Christmas Gravy – Get Ahead – Jamie Style
45
30
1 15
Ingredients
- 2 onions peeled & roughly chopped
- 2 carrots roughly chopped
- 2 sticks of celery roughly chopped
- 40 grams rashers of smoked streaky bacon cut into inch pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs of fresh sage
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary mixed fresh herbs work well
- 10 free-range chicken wings
- olive oil
- 4 tablespoons plain flour
- 2 litres boiling water
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200ºC / 400ºF / Gas 6.
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Place the chopped onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, sage and rosemary in a large, high-sided roasting tray.
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Scatter the chopped smoked bacon over the vegetables.
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Break the chicken wings at the joints and bash lightly with a rolling pin to release extra flavour, then add them to the tray.
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Drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, toss to coat, then roast for 1 hour or until everything is tender. Stir once halfway through.
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Remove the tray from the oven and place on a low heat on the hob.
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Using a potato masher, mash the roasted ingredients in the tray, scraping up all the browned bits from the base. The longer you let them brown, the deeper the gravy colour and taste.
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Gradually stir in the flour, then pour in 2 litres of boiling water from the kettle, mixing well to dissolve any lumps.
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Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to your preferred consistency. Add extra water if needed to adjust thickness.
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Pour the mixture through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, pressing through the solids with the back of a spoon to extract all the flavour. Discard the solids left in the sieve.
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Taste and season, then cool. Transfer into containers or freezer bags and freeze. Add a few fresh herbs if you like before freezing.
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On the big day, defrost the gravy when the turkey goes into the oven. When ready, pour the gravy into a saucepan and add some turkey pan juices.
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Bring to the boil, scraping up sticky bits from the base of the pan, adjust seasoning and serve hot.