The perfect gravy is a must-have for any roast dinner and there are a few simple tips and tricks to elevate the sauce.
Gravy serves as the ultimate unifier of the British roast dinner, acting as the velvety connection between crispy potatoes, succulent meat and a mound of vegetables.
When executed properly, every element on the plate becomes more flavoursome. When it turns out too thin, lumpy or bland, a Sunday feast can seem incomplete.
The positive news is that restaurant-grade equipment isn’t necessary to achieve perfection.
A few clever, straightforward ingredients and a dependable technique are sufficient to transform a pan of drippings into something you’ll be tempted to drizzle over absolutely everything, reports the Express.
I consulted chefs nationwide, and they all offered the same guidance for tastier gravy: steer clear of shop-bought granules and start with genuine ingredients.
Michelin-starred chef Mark Poynton describes pan and roasting juices as an essential foundation, observing that “good stock and roasting juices always make gravy delicious”.
Sean Blood, head chef at ROAM, is equally insistent about patience: “You can’t cheat flavour. Gravy needs to be slowly reduced,” allowing time and collagen to develop “depth, richness, and complexity” and that naturally glossy texture.
Begin with a heated roasting tin, scrape every caramelised morsel and allow the base to thicken before reaching for the prized ingredient that genuinely enhances flavour.
Multiple chefs concur that this is umami, which can be obtained from numerous sources.
Chef Jack Stein suggests a contemporary storecupboard combination: “a dash of soy sauce and marmite, cider vinegar and mirin” to provide a profound, well-rounded character in traditional gravy. Jack revealed it’s a flexible flavour pairing that works brilliantly with any Sunday roast and is “perfect on sausages and mash.”
Alternative methods can achieve the same umami effects.
Mark Hearthstone, chef proprietor of La Fosse at Cranborne, opts for “dried fungi,” providing immediate woodland richness to game, beef, and mushroom gravies.
Umami delivers a distinctly savoury taste sourced from glutamates such as monosodium glutamate (MSG).
These occur naturally in mushrooms, but if you’re short of the dried variety, your kitchen cupboard might hold the solution.
Matt Fletcher of Great Central Pub believes Worcestershire sauce “is a must… it really opens the flavours and adds a full-bodied punch of flavour,” with just a small splash sufficient to provide zest and richness.
Nevertheless, it’s classified as an ultra-processed food since it contains components like high-fructose corn syrup, which you might prefer to avoid in gravy, especially if you’re focusing on using whole foods.
After your gravy achieves that gorgeous umami taste, you might want to introduce some acidity to the blend.
Certain chefs recommend adding a splash of balsamic vinegar, apple cider, or white wine, although all require careful use to prevent overpowering the sauce.
The final touch also counts, according to Dean Harper of Harper Fine Dining.
The chef’s most straightforward enhancement is “a knob of butter” whisked in at the very end for “a silky smooth texture and delicious buttery taste.”
This technique creates creaminess in the gravy without diminishing the savoury foundation, as butter’s milk solids provide lustre whilst its fat transports flavour. However, while butter can enhance the creaminess, an excess of it leads to too much fat, which can result in a greasy sauce.
A small dollop of butter is sufficient for a subtle sheen.
