Festive Gravy
Festive gravy is the easy way to make a delicious gravy suitable for any festive culinary event. All the hard work is done ahead of time enabling freedom to enjoy other activities or cooking. A perfect gravy to accompany the celebratory roast turkey and equally as good for any celebration roast lunch.
1 litre
15 mins
2 hours +
180ºC + stove top
Ingredients
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10 free-range chicken wings- bashed to release flavour
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100g bacon lardons
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Vegetables
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2 red onions- outer skin removed
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2 carrots- peeled
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4 sticks of celery- washed
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3 parsnips- peeled
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1 whole bulb of garlic- cloves removed
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Fresh Herbs
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2 fresh bay leaves
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2 sprigs of fresh sage
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2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
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2 sprigs of fresh thyme
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Seasoning
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2 star anise
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Sea salt and black pepper- generous grind
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Other
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Generous glug of extra virgin olive oil
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60ml sherry- optional
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4 tablespoons plain flour
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2 dessertspoons blueberry jam- or blackberry
Instructions
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Prepare chicken wings:
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01 On a firm board lay the chicken wings, cover with baking paper and bash well with a rolling pin. This opens them up which allows more flavour to be released during cooking.
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Prepare vegetables:
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02 Wash, peel and remove any roots or dirt etc from the vegetables. Cut into chunks before placing into a food processor. Pulse until a course texture.
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Roast:
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03 Tip all the chopped vegetables into a sturdy, high sided roasting tray and top with the bacon lardons. Then lay the broken chicken wings all over the top, finishing with all the herbs and seasoning. Drizzle well with olive oil. Toss well and place in a hot oven to roast for minimum of 1 hour to 2. The chicken wings need colour and the vegetables tender.
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Make gravy:
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04 Remove tray from the oven and place on the hob on a low heat. Using a potato masher grind and mash EVERYTHING. Scraping up the goodness from the base of the roasting tin. Do not rush this bit as the longer it all cooks (fry) the darker the final gravy will be. If you wish to add sherry add now. Finally stir in the flour and top with 2 litres of boiling water taken from the kettle. Simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. When the gravy is a consistency to your liking pour everything through a sieve into a large bowl, pushing all the goodness through using a large spoon. Discard chicken bones etc. Add blueberry jam. Check the taste and season accordingly. Leave to go cold before storing.
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Storage:
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05 Either pour into plastic freezer bags or containers and freeze until required.
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Final stage:
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06 Defrost gravy the day before it is required. Place in a large saucepan to reheat. Add any juices from the festive bird to add extra depth and flavour.
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Serve:
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07 Best enjoyed hot.
Notes
Highly recommend to make this gravy in advance of any celebration, whether it be for Christmas Day or a celebratory roast. Freezes superbly and tastes delicious.
