Every year at Christmas time I make sure I whip up a batch of this DELICIOUS gravy. And when I say every year, I mean the past 3 or 4 because I only saw it on one of his Christmas specials then. The best bit about it for me is that you can make it ahead. A few days and whack it in the fridge. A few weeks…and you can freeze it and then bring it back to life on the big day. The flavours are amazing and rich and it will take your turkey from great to AMAZING. Promise.
Jamie Oliver’s Make ahead gravy
2 celery sticks, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly sliced
2 onions, peeled and quartered
5 fresh bay leaves
5 fresh sage leaves
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 star anise
2 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, the best quality you can afford
8 higher-welfare chicken wings
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons plain flour
60 ml sherry or port , optional
2 heaped dessert spoons cranberry sauce, for finishing
Original recipe can be found here.
1. Bash the shit out of chicken wings (use a rolling pin, back of a knife whatever) You just want to break the bones and release the flavour. Throw into roasting pan with 2 rashes bacon, 2 lots of onions, carrot & celery sticks, 5 bay leaves, sage leaves & rosemary sprigs. 2 star anise. Whack in 200 degree oven for an hour.
2. Take out of oven after 1 hour and place on low heat on stove top. Using a masher, mash the Shiz out of everything and let it fry off As you mash. Gradually mix in 4 tablespoons plain flour until all mixed in.
3. Add in 2 litres of hot water and bring to the boil for 10 mins
4. Strain through sieve pushing through all that goodness and you’re done! Once cool you can freeze…or whack into a container in the fridge for a few days before hand. On the day of serving heat up and add in any turkey/roasted meat juices from your roasting pan.
[gmc_recipe 11345]
Have you ever made this gravy before?
How good is it?!!
What do you have planned for the menu on the day?
Best. Gravy. Ever. I make this every year also. So delicious! And quite therapeutic to make with all the bashing and mushing 🙂
I agree – Love making it and then the taste is just the icing on the cake!
hello, I would like to give this ago but do you think it will go with lamb??
Yes it would be great with lamb too!
Thank you Beth
Make ahead gravy? Mind blown.
There’s not enough space in my kitchen to pull that off on the day, but being able to make it beforehand is an awesome idea!
Oh Amanda you MUST make this! Something to tick off the list for the day? Yes please!
Beth, I am just watching Jamie’s Cracking Christmas here in the UK….OMG amazing!!!! Roast goose with 5 spice crunchy skin,served with goose fat roasted potatoes,red cabbage ,tangerine buttery carrots,pomegranate seeds….YUMMY SCRUMMY!!!!
Anything made by this man is good for me! xxxx
It hasn’t been on here yet…will be soon though. LOVE IT. I agree – he is the best x
that looks the business, thanks beth!
anything made by Jamie is usually great! … I love him!
he has great hints and tips … he is such an educator!
i’ll tell my sister! … she cooks the lunch! ;)X
I take the desert! … not sure what just yet!/?
enjoy your day! love m:)X
Make a pav – can’t go wrong!
Thanks Beth. Saw this recently and was impressed but did not jot it down. I am definitely going to do it.. But what is a “high welfare chicken wing” ?! Displaying my ignorance here…
Ha! I think he just means non cage factory hen kind…so organic if you can afford it or free range. There will be better flavour and less bleach in those bones!
Aaahh, how good is Jamie Oliver? I use his Save with Jamie quite a bit. Remember way back when he was the Naked Chef, all fresh faced and funky, getting all lovely jubbly on his scooter round London? Gotta love how he has evolved into a slightly portly home cook dad!
I sure do! Still have that very first cooking book – and use recipes from it!
I make this gravy every Christmas. I bought my chicken wings today so shall be making tomorrow night and stashing it in the freezer. Its amazing!!! And takes the stress out of cooking on the day. I have done the same thing with beef bones too for a large family gathering earlier this year when we were having a huge rib of beef – it worked a treat!
I need to remember it throughout the year too…beef bones is genius!
Just out of interest what do you do with the chicken meat etc after?
Have you ever used drumsticks to make this too?
As it’s all mashed up it’s not much good for anything (as there can be small bones in there too).
Oh, sorry, haven’t used drumsticks but think they would work well too! Merry Christmas 🙂
Hi there, is this gravy for any roast meat??
It sure is!
Hi Beth,
I see you say its ok with any roast. Ive seen the recipe on a few sites but it never mentions having it with lamb. As I havent made it yet. Do u think it will be ok??
Thanks
What size roasting dish would you use
OH so much time and work..gawd awful…all that work, yet tastes like Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup which I could have bought on sale In a can for $.99. It does make a gravy but not any sort of a stellar gravy as needed for the Holidays. I roasted and re-roasted. Jeez. Don’t bother, this one’s going in the bin.
Hello everyone,
I am a bit of a panic cook. I am cooking cms day roast for the family and having roast lamb. Do you think this gravy would be ok?? I cant see that Jamie mentions going with lamb , just the other roast??
Help appreciated