Best Traditional Gravy Recipes

ROAST BEEF WITH A MUSTARD CRUST AND TRADITIONAL GRAVY

Steps:

• Weigh the beef to establish the cooking time. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
• Crumble 1 Beef OXO cube into a small bowl, mix with the flour and mustard powder. Dust this over the fat surface of the beef, rubbing in gently. This will become nicely crusty during cooking as well as adding flavour. Now season with freshly ground black pepper.
• Place the beef in a roasting tin and tuck the onion quarters around the meat. Cook for 20 minutes then reduce the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3 and cook slowly for 20 minutes per 450g for medium rare and 15 minutes per 450g for rare.
• Whilst the meat is cooking, baste it in its own juices to keep it moist and succulent. Transfer the cooked meat to a carving plate and loosely cover with foil to rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile to make the gravy: tilt the roasting tin and spoon off all but 2 tbsp of the fat, also retaining the brown juices and the caramelised onion. Place the mixture in a saucepan over a gentle heat and allow the juices to sizzle then sprinkle in the flour and blend to a smooth paste. Let the flour cook for a moment or two until browned. This helps to produce a rich colour gravy.
• Crumble and stir 1 Beef OXO cube into 600ml (1pt) hot water.
• Using a wooden spoon, loosen the tasty crisp brown bits stuck to the tin whilst gradually adding the hot stock. Stir briskly until the simmering gravy is smooth and thickens. If you prefer your gravy thicker, simply leave to bubble and reduce for a minute or two.
• Carve the beef onto warm plates, accompanied with roasted potatoes and Yorkshire puddings and enjoy with lashings of hot gravy.
• For rich red wine gravy, replace 150ml (¼ pt) water with a robust red wine.

TRADITIONAL ROAST BEEF WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Rub outside of meat with pepper, salt and garlic.
• Place on a rack in a baking dish; pour 1/3 cup water into bottom of baking dish.
• Roast beef, allowing 25 minutes per pound for medium rare, a little longer for well done.
• Cover loosely with foil.
• Stand for 15 minutes before carving.
• To prepare gravy: drain off all except 1 tblsp of fat from the baking dish.
• Place dish over a low heat.
• Add flour and stir well to incorporate all the bits and pieces in the dish.
• Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until well-browned, taking care not to burn.
• Combine wine, stock and tomato paste.
• Gradually stir into flour mixture.
• Heat, stirring constantly, until gravy boils and thickens.
• Cook for about 3 minutes.
• Season to taste.

TRADITIONAL GRAVY

Steps:

• Collect the juices and the fat from the meat you are roasting.
• Put the juices in a glass jug and allow to stand for a few minutes so that the fat will rise to the surface. Skim off the fat.
• Put the roasting tin that you used to cook the meat on the hob on a medium heat and add the fat. (The meat needs to be resting, covered with foil, in a warm place at this point).
• Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
• Stir in the meat juices and gradually stir in the stock until you get a smooth gravy. You can add some white or red wine at this point for more flavor. Use a wooden spoon and stir all over the surface of the pan to incorporate any meat juices that are stuck to it.
• Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

TRADITIONAL SUPPER STUFFING WITH CIDER GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees F and scatter bread on baking sheet, season with poultry seasoning and bake to toast bread, 10-12 minutes.
• Quarter the apples and slice into each quarter on an angle to cut away the core. Chop apples into bite size pieces.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 3 tablespoons butter, when the butter melts, add the apples, onions, celery, bay leaf and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add turkey to the skillet and combine with vegetables, heat through 2 to 3 minutes then fold in bread and moisten with about 2 cups chicken stock.
• While stuffing cooks, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and whisk in flour, 1 minute, whisk in cider and chicken stock and season with salt and pepper to taste, reduce 4 to 5 minutes.
• Serve stuffing doused with 1/2 cup gravy.

TRADITIONAL GRAVY FOR ROAST BEEF, LAMB, PORK OR DUCK

Steps:

• First of all remove the meat or poultry from the roasting tin and have a bowl ready, then tilt the tin and you will see quite clearly the fat separating from the darker juices. So now you need to spoon off the fat into the bowl using a tablespoon, but remember, you need to leave 1-1½ tablespoons of fat in the tin. Then, using a wooden spoon, scrape the sides and base of the tin to release any crusty bits, which are very important for flavour. Next, place the tin over direct heat turned fairly low and, when the fat and juices begin to sizzle, add the flour, then quickly dive in with the wooden spoon using brisk circular movements. Speed is of the essence - gentle, faint-hearted stirring is not what's needed here: you should be mixing in the manner of a speeded-up film!
• Soon you will have a smooth paste, so now begin to add the hot stock, a little at a time, whisking briskly and blending after each addition. Now turn the heat up to medium and you will find that, as the stock is added and it reaches simmering point, the gravy will have thickened.
• Now your own preference comes into play. If the gravy is too thin, let it bubble and reduce a little; if it's too thick, add a little more liquid. Finally, taste and season with salt and freshly milled black pepper, then pour the gravy into a warmed jug ready for the table.
• For pork, which has pale juices, add onion to the roasting tin. This will caramelise during cooking and give colour to the juices. The onion may also be used with other joints and poultry to give colour.
• For lamb, add a teaspoon of mustard powder with the flour, a tablespoon of redcurrant jelly to melt into the gravy, and some red wine to add body.
• For duck, add the grated zest and juice of a small orange, along with a glass of port.
• For beef, add a wineglass of red wine or Madeira - this enriches the beef flavour magically.

TRADITIONAL AMERICAN POT ROAST WITH GRAVY

Steps:

• Add the cooking oil to a lidded, large, heavy pot or 5 qt dutch oven and heat it almost to the smoking point.
• Roll the roast in the seasoned flour, coating all sides.
• Fry the pot roast in the pot, turning occasionally until brown on all sides. On the last side, put in the chopped onion and saute alongside the roast. When the color on the onions start to turn, proceed to the next step.
• Add the beef stock, peppercorns, cloves, bay leaf, garlic powder and salt. Make sure the liquid in the pot is at least halfway up the sides of the roast. If it isn't, add water until it is.
• Cover and heat until you reach a low rolling boil and then simmer on medium low 1 1/2 hours, flipping the roast halfway through. Don't let the liquid get much below one quarter of the way up the roast. If it does, add water. Ideally, when the cooking time is complete the liquid will not be more than 1/4 of the way up the roast.
• Remove the roast from the pot, leaving the liquid. As the roast rests, make the gravy.
• FOR THE GRAVY: Put the cornstarch into a small measuring cup and add COLD water, as cold as you can get it, just enough to make a slurry. Water that isn't quite cold will make lumpy gravy. Stir until creamy.
• Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the liquid slowly and then simmer uncovered 3-5 minutes or until the cornstarch taste goes away and the drippings thicken into gravy.
• Slice the roast and serve with the gravy.