It can be incredibly stressful to juggle all the elements of a Christmas dinner.
From succulent turkey, to crispy roast potatoes, Brussels sprouts and red cabbage, there are plenty of elements that go into festive mealtimes.
And no spread would be complete without a big jug of gravy. Thankfully, you don’t need to worry about faffing with your sauce on the big day.
Jamie Oliver has shared a foolproof gravy method you can do days in advance. So when Christmas rolls around, there is one less job you need to do!
People love the recipe – including Mike Honour who took to TikTok to brand it “banging”. Give it a go by following the easy instructions below…
Recipe
- Two carrots
- Two onions
- Two celery sticks
- Two bacon rashers
- A couple of bay leaves
- Two sage sprigs
- Two rosemary sprigs
- A couple of star anise
- 10 free-range chicken wings or three chicken drumsticks and three chicken legs
- Olive oil
Optional
- 60ml sherry or port
- four tablespoons plain flour
- two tablespoons cranberry sauce
Method
- Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4.
- Prep and chop up the veg, then slice your bacon. Throw into a roasting tray with bay leaves, sage, rosemary and star anise
- Add the chicken, drizzle with oil and season. Mix everything together and cook for around an hour.
- Once cooked, take the tray out of the oven, and move it to a low heat on the hob. Press into the mixture with a potato masher. Optionally add the booze and cook for a few minutes.
- Gradually stir in the flour, and add two litres of boiling kettle water. Allow this to simmer for half an hour, or until thickened and reduced, and make sure you give it a stir every now and then.
- When the gravy has reached your desired consistency, pour it through a sieve into a large bowl. Make sure you get all the tasty bits by pushing it through with the back of a spoon. Season it, allow it to cool down, and pour into containers or bags. You can then store it in the fridge or freezer until ready to use on Christmas Day.
And there you have it, delicious gravy you can impress your friend and family with. You can also use any chicken leftovers for recipes like soups or pies. Just make sure to swerve any bones if you are doing this.