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Make-ahead turkey gravy recipe

Make-ahead turkey gravy recipe

736 ratings

This make-ahead gravy is perfect for taking the stress out of Christmas day or any other occasion. Roasted vegetables and chicken wings create a rich and hearty flavour that makes it the perfect roast dinner accompaniment. Make in advance and store for up to 3 months in the freezer until needed. See method

  • Serves 8
  • 10 mins to prepare and 2 hours to cook, plus cooling and chilling
  • 281 calories / serving
  • Freezable
  • Dairy-free

Ingredients

  • 2 small onions, roughly diced
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and roughly diced
  • 2 sticks celery, roughly diced
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 10 chicken wings
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 100ml ruby port
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • chicken stock cubes (to make 2 litres chicken stock)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp redcurrant jelly (optional)

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    1175kj
    281kcal     14%

  • Fat

    17g 24%

  • Saturates

    5g 24%

  • Sugars

    6g 6%

  • Salt

    2.7g 45%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 11.3g Protein 18.1g Fibre 2.4g

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Spread the chopped vegetables out in a large shallow roasting tin, then scatter over the thyme, rosemary and garlic. Arrange the chicken wings on top, then drizzle with the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hr or until the chicken wings are golden and all the vegetables are tender.
  2. Once cooked, tip the contents of the tray into a large saucepan, making sure you scrape all the bits off the bottom of the roasting tin. Mash everything with a potato masher, then add the port. Place the pan over a high heat and let it bubble for 3-4 mins. Stir in the flour and cook for another 1-2 mins to thicken.
  3. Pour in the chicken stock, add the bay leaves, and stir well. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat, then simmer gently for 45 mins or until it has reduced by a third or to your preferred consistency.
  4. At this point you can add the redcurrant jelly if you like a slightly sweeter gravy, or extra seasoning to taste. Pass the mixture through a sieve into a large jug, pressing down with a spoon to push all the liquid through from the chicken and vegetables.
  5. Set aside to cool, then cover and chill in the fridge until the gravy has firmed up, like a jelly. A layer of fat may have formed on the top of the jelly, which you can now scrape off and discard.
  6. Spoon the chilled gravy into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. It can be useful to label the container with the contents and date of freezing.
  7. The day before serving, remove from the freezer and defrost in the fridge overnight. Transfer the gravy to a pan and heat through until boiling before serving.

Tip: If serving straight away, return the gravy to a clean pan after straining and heat through to serve.

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