Perfect Beef Gravy

A good gravy is what brings a roast dinner together. Homemade beef gravy should be rich, savoury and comforting. The most delicious gravy is made from the caramelised juices and flavour of roasted meat, root vegetables and onions. It’s much easier to make than you think and simply requires the roasting tin in which you have cooked the meat, the roasted vegetables that surround the beef during cooking, red wine and beef stock. Make the gravy whilst the roast beef is resting. I like to add a little flour to the roasting tin before adding the wine and stock to make a thicker gravy but this is a personal preference.

1. Lift the roast beef from the tin, cover loosely and let it rest whilst you make the gravy.

2. Pour away some of the fat from the tin leaving a thin layer behind with the caramelised vegetables and dark sticky meat juices. Save the fat for roasting crispy roast potatoes.

3. Place the tin over a low heat. (If you like a thicker gravy, stir in a tablespoon of flour and cook over a medium heat until the flour smells nutty and is golden brown in colour. Make sure it doesn’t burn).

4. Add a good splash of red wine and scrape the bottom of the roasting tin with a spatula to release the sticky residue. Let the mixture bubble for a minute or two and stir, scraping away at the crusty bits until they dissolve.

5. Add enough beef stock to cover the vegetables (approximately 500ml) and cook for 10 minutes. Stir and scrape the tin to release all the flavour (if you have added flour, stir well to prevent lumps from forming).

6. Strain into a clean saucepan and use the back of a spoon to extract all the flavour from the vegetables. Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Heat until piping hot.

7. Pour into a warmed gravy jug and serve.

• Use the same method for chicken gravy but add a splash of white wine instead of red and replace the beef stock with chicken stock.

• Add a bulb of unpeeled garlic when roasting the meat, then squeeze the contents of the cloves into the gravy for added sweetness and flavour.

• If the gravy is a little thin, return to the stove and reduce until viscous, or if too thick, add a little more beef stock to loosen.