Proper Roast Gravy from the Tin

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •A sturdy roasting tin that can go on the hob
• •Wooden spoon or flat-edged spatula for scraping
• •A warm jug for serving
• •Fine sieve (optional, if you like it strained)

Instructions

1. 1

   Lift the joint out to rest

   Take the joint out of the tin and put it on a warm plate or board, somewhere it can rest properly under a loose tent of foil. This is the moment the gravy begins, not the moment the meat ends. All those dark sticky patches clinging to the tin, the fat that has pooled around them, the little rivers of juice, that's your sauce. Don't wash any of it away. Don't scrape it out. Leave it where it is.

   Whatever juices run from the resting joint onto the board go back into the gravy at the end. Every last drop. That's non-negotiable.
2. 2

   Pour off the excess fat

   Tilt the tin gently. You'll see the fat sitting clear on top and the dark juices underneath. Spoon off most of the fat, but leave roughly a tablespoon behind along with all the dark bits and juices. The fat you've spooned away can go into a jar for roast potatoes next time. The fat you keep is the base of the gravy.

3. 3

   Work in the flour

   Set the tin over a low to medium flame across one or two burners on the hob. Scatter the flour over the fat and juices and stir it in with a wooden spoon, working it into a loose paste that picks up all those caramelised patches from the bottom of the tin. Keep it moving. You want the flour to cook out for a minute or two until it smells nutty and toasted rather than raw and floury. Trust your nose. It knows before you do.

   If the paste looks dry and clumpy, you've taken off too much fat. Add a small knob of butter to loosen it. If it looks like a greasy puddle, you've kept too much. Spoon a little more away. A proper roux should look like wet sand.
4. 4

   Deglaze, if you're using wine

   If you've got a splash of wine or sherry to hand, now is the moment. Pour it in and let it hiss and bubble against the hot tin. Stir hard with the wooden spoon, scraping up any last caramelised bits that have been hiding in the corners. Let the wine reduce until it's almost gone and the smell has mellowed from sharp to savoury. This step is optional, but it's the difference between good gravy and gravy that makes someone go quiet for a second when they taste it.

5. 5

   Add the stock slowly

   Pour in the hot stock a little at a time, whisking or stirring as you go. Add a splash, let it thicken, add another, let it thicken, and keep building until all the stock is in. Going slow at this stage is what gives you a smooth gravy instead of a lumpy one. Let it come up to a proper simmer and keep it there for three or four minutes, stirring now and then, until it coats the back of the spoon when you lift it out. Not thick like wallpaper paste. Glossy and just clinging.

6. 6

   Season and finish

   Pour in any juices that have collected around the resting joint. Add the redcurrant jelly if it's lamb, a scrape of mustard if it's beef, nothing extra if it's chicken. Taste it. Season with salt and pepper. Then taste it again. Adjust. A gravy that tastes flat is almost always a gravy that wants more salt, not more cleverness. Strain it through a sieve into a warm jug if you want it smooth, or pour it straight if you like the rustic bits. Carry it to the table while it's still glossy and the joint is still warm. There are few better feelings than putting a jug of proper gravy in front of people on a Sunday.

   Warm the jug first. A cold jug kills a hot gravy faster than anything. A quick rinse with boiling water from the kettle is all it takes.

Chef Tips

• •The stock matters more than anything else here. Homemade is a gift to yourself and well worth the trouble, but a good-quality fresh stock from the supermarket is a decent second. Avoid cubes if you can. They give you salty brown water instead of the real thing, and with so few ingredients, you'll taste every shortcut.
• •Match the stock to the joint. Chicken stock for a roast chicken, beef stock for beef, lamb stock for lamb. It sounds obvious, and it is, but it's the single biggest thing you can do to make the gravy taste like it belongs to the meat you've cooked.
• •Don't be frightened of the flour. A heaped tablespoon for 500ml of stock gives you a gravy that coats a spoon without turning into paste. If it thickens too much, add a splash more stock. If it stays too thin, let it simmer a minute longer. The tin is forgiving. Taste as you go.
• •Save every last drop of resting juice from the board. Those juices are more concentrated than anything in the tin and they're the final seasoning. Tip them in right at the end, off the heat, and give the gravy one last stir.

Advance Preparation

• •Gravy is a last-minute sauce by nature. It happens while the joint rests and it wants to be eaten hot. Making it ahead defeats the whole point.
• •That said, if you have leftover gravy, it keeps in the fridge for up to three days and freezes well for a month. Reheat gently with a splash of stock to loosen it back to the right consistency. It's wonderful poured over cold roast meat in a sandwich the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 80g)