So is it possible to make a “good” gravy without those ‘roast’ juices?
(google says no)
Made pie yesterday (plain mince and onion), and it need gravy to go with it tonight…

We do have Bisto, but it’s rubbish… or can you spice that up a bit?

Any options?

Knorr stock cube

Ahh, Bisto.

Of course you can spice it up.

Anyway you can buy stock – since that’s all the roast juices are – or a facsimile ie stock cubes, bouillon etc.

Use a good beef stock cube, bit of bisto for thickening, salt and pepper, bit of red wine or some ale, or guinness.

No shame in using the bisto to help thicken it.

T’is 3.30pm on a sunday, I will not be rushing down the shop to buy stock… OK, well I have oxo and knorr stock cubes, so one of them and some red wine and bisto it is then.

and you will help pay my wages as well so get the Bisto out oh and bit of Oxo as well!!

😀

BTW Cheers guys

finely chopped onions caramelised, then add red wine, reduce and season. Add a stock cube, thicken if necessary with cornflour or if with flour dont forget to cook it off.

caramelised

Here we go 🙄

caramelised.

As distinct from sweating or frying.

I s’pose you consider Limited Edition Pot Noodle’s haute cuisine DD?

😛

As distinct from sweating or frying.

Thanks for that.

are you hungry DD?

No, why?

Take four tomatoes, chop them and leave them to simmer with a little water & oil. Add sone sun-dried tomato paste if you have any, and a little Tabasco. Stir sometimes. Finely chop an onion, evict any tiny slivers and fry it till it starts to brown*. Chop a stock cube, add to half a pint of hot water in a saucepan. When the toms are soft stir them through a sieve into the pan, with the back of a wooden spoon, leaving the seeds, skins and stringy bit behind. Add the onion, simmer a bit. Thicken with cornfour (yes, I know it’s cheating).

*Or you could just clarify the onion.

What Stoner said.

Chop a stock cube? 🙂

I found stock cubes dissolve more readily (easier) if chopped first – Knorr type, as oxo just crumble

Oh and I noticed its actually Monday isn’t it…

anyone tried those Knorr Stockpots yet?

load of swizz or suprisingly authentic?

The advertising alone made me vow never to buy one 🙂

I use Kallo cubes. With excellent results. If you crumble one into a pot noodle before adding the hot water, the results are amazing.

anyone tried those Knorr Stockpots yet?
I have but only in sort of bean hotpot things where it’s hard to determine what the taste is.
I’ve been slightly put off using them now though since seeing those adverts of some creepy chef trying to get his end away with some grannies by sharing his gravy secrets.

To be honest I think this thread should really be directed at northerners as they claim to be mostly gravy based lifeforms.

Its all those tory voting Womens Institute lasses that did it for you isnt it?

Ive used Marigold bouillon too, but it can be a bit salty.

TBH I just nuke a left over chicken in 2-3 litres of water whenever I can and freeze it for use later.

I thought northerners tended to be mainly whippets and shoulder chips?

Hmm there not much room in the freezer as it is, that and I use our stock in soup… lots of soup, goddam how thing have changed…
Seems to be more to gravy making than it first seems, I’m surprised to find most recipes only expect you to use 2 tablespoons of the roast fat (seperated from the juices), so I imagine there shold be spare more to hoard.

What Stoner said.

I’ve taken to slow-frying red onions with a blob of honey, a dash of balsamic vinegar and a twist or two of black pepper, then slinging those in gravy. TBH, it’s worth doing just to get the rest of the house salivating, the smell is incredible.

you dont want too much roast fat in the gravy, hence separate. Use all the juices after deglazing, a bit of the fat, some flour and then water or stock depending on the amount of deglaze you got.

blob of honey, a dash of balsamic vinegar

*files in brain.*

I prefer to stay away from Animal fats, so I use the boiled water from the vegetables

Also, Bisto Best is way better than regular Bisto.

In the absence of meat, half a teaspoon of Marmite will give a kick up the arse to granule gravy.

Every time I have roast chicken or duck, I salvage the carcass and all the bones off everybody’s plates then boil it up with a carrot and onion to make my own stock. This also works with lamb and beef bones.

I then strain it off, leave in the fridge until it solidifies and scrape off the fat. I reduce again, so it jellifies on cooling, wrap it in cling film and stick it in the freezer.

When making gravy I always take the pan juices, discarding excess fat, add whatever vegetables (as above posts) and soften them up, THEN I add flour (enough to absorb the fat), and giving it a good cook to make a nice roux, which eliminates the floury taste.

If doing a roast dinner, I blanch all the veg in the same pan before roasting (no salt) then I melt the stock in that water. Add this bit by bit to the roux and you will have the best ever gravy. Especially if you finish it off with a bit of cabbage water.

None of your poncy wine. If you make the gravy in the meat pan, it will deglaze itself.

Oh, and it’s not that much better than making it with a knorr cube.

stoner, i’m pretty sure i’ve had a reduced salt marigold bouillon before… i use either that or kallo stock cubes anyway.
and i have to agree that if you’re making an onion gravy you HAVE to caramelise the onions first to maximise the taste of the end product!

wrap it in cling film and stick it in the freezer.

I’ve yet to do it myself, but you can make home-made stock cubes like this by decanting the stock into ice-cube trays.

and i also agree that the ads for those knorr stockpots made me avoid even looking to see if they’d be usable for me. ugh.

I prefer to stay away from Animal fats

I’m veggie, but I’d like to think that that’s less “restrictive” and more “creative.”

But if it’s reduced enough it goes solid (well, jellified) so there’s no fuss and no need to clutter the freezer with plastic containers.

I bought about 1000 brown paper bags so I always have a free one to pop things in and write on.

no need to clutter the freezer with plastic containers.

Once cubed, you can pop ’em out and into freezer bags.

Current thinking seems to be that animal fats are actually much better for you than vegetable fats. From some people at least!

Impressed that this is headed for page 2.

*favourited*

I love this place.

depending how much gravy you want:

2-4 beef Oxo* cubes – more cubes for stronger flavour or bigger volume;
hot water to dissolve them in; *other brands are available. We tried the one that Marco Pierre White advertises, didn’t like it

a tablespoon of cornflour dissolved in a drop of cold water;

add the crushed stock cubes to 500ml or so of hot water – the more water, the more cubes you’ll need to get a decent flavour.

bring to the boil, add a couple of teaspoonsful of the slaked cornflour, stirring all the time.

Reduce the heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes to cook out the taste of the cornflour. The longer you cook, the more it’ll reduce & the stronger the flavour will get.