How to make Proper Gravy
Now that it is too cold to flounce around in strappy dresses, the weather thinks it can make up for a summer of misery with two days of sunshine. But what do I care, I’m off to Trinidad on November 30th!
Meanwhile I bought the Good Food Magazine to re-acquaint myself with autumn cooking. And lo, there on the inside cover of the accompanying booklet (and throughout the magazine) there was Marco Pierre White extolling the qualities of Knorr stock cubes. Who am I to argue? I have used Knorr cubes for over twenty years (but only chicken—and shame on them for not making their organic chicken cubes to the same traditional recipe! For vegetable, nothing beats Marigold).
Here is how the great chef makes the ‘perfect gravy’:
For the perfect gravy, pour away most of the cooked juices from your roasting tray before adding your Knorr cube along with 300ml of water. Give the tray a good scrape to mix in any other bits of encrusted flavour, then boil on the hob until reduced by half.
And here, Marco, is how it’s done properly.
Make a stock with the left-over carcass of one roast chicken, leek, onion, carrot, celery (better still: celeriac) and parsley. Add one Knorr chicken cube per litre (app.) Divide into 3 or4 aliquots and freeze until required.
Remove the meat and spuds from the tin, pour over a glass of wine or cider (depending on the joint) and deglaze. Add to the stock in a small pot and bring to a rapid boil. Skim, reduce to a simmer and add corn flour paste to desired consistency.
Important: some juices will have collected underneath the joint while it was resting. Pour these into the gravy for a flavour boost. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
And there you have it.
Tags: 'Round the World Recipes, Cooking, gravy, Marco Pierre White, stock, Tag Index
Denni