Gorgeous Gravy Ahead of Time

I will admit that Gorgeous Gravy Ahead of Time has made life a whole lot easier at family dinners. Making the gravy in advance so it only needs warming up in a baking tray for an amazing flavour. Not only that but you also get 5 large chicken wings to nibble on as a bonus. I like to use white wine in this recipe as, to me it gives the gravy a cleaner flavour but choose red wine if you want.

As I’m sure your agree, there are certain kitchen staples that make you feel wonderfully prepared, no matter what the week throws at you. A good loaf of bread, a jar of homemade chutney, a pot of soup tucked away in the freezer… and then there’s gravy. Not just any gorgeous gravy, mind you, but what I like to call Gorgeous Gravy—a rich, deeply flavoured, golden elixir that seems to go with almost everything you might cook. It’s the sort of gravy that elevates a simple supper into something memorable, the kind that earns you grateful murmurs around the table and makes you look far more organised than you actually are.

This gravy begins life in a way that feels reassuringly old-fashioned: with a roasting tin full of vegetables and humble chicken wings. There’s something tremendously satisfying about sliding the tin into a hot oven and letting the heat work its magic. Carrots take on that lovely sweet edge, the red onion softens into jammy wedges, and the chicken wings turn beautifully golden, releasing all their savoury goodness into the pan. Even before anything else is done, the kitchen smells promising, warm, and comforting.

What I love most about making a gorgeous gravy like this is how little fuss it requires. Once everything is roasted, you simply set the tin over a gentle heat and introduce it to a generous splash of white wine. That moment when the wine hits the hot tin—well, that’s the sort of aroma that instantly makes you feel like a proper home cook. The liquid bubbles and picks up all the caramelised bits clinging to the bottom of the tray, those dark, sticky flecks that are responsible for much of the gravy’s final depth. If you don’t have wine on hand, water works perfectly well, but the wine does add a lovely roundness if you have it.

The next stage is where the transformation begins. Everything from the roasting tin—vegetables, chicken, juices—is piled into a large saucepan. A spoonful of cornflour is stirred in, helping the final gravy to reach that perfect glossy consistency that sits so nicely on a roast potato. Then in goes the stock, and the whole pot is left to simmer gently. You don’t need to stand guard; just give it an occasional stir and, as it bubbles away, use a fork to break up the softened carrots and the now-falling-apart chicken wings. All that flavour leaches out into the liquid, thickening it naturally and creating a base that’s hearty, savoury and wonderfully rounded.

And then comes the straining. Some people find this tedious, but I think it’s quite therapeutic—pressing the soft vegetables through a fine sieve and watching the gravy drip into the bowl below. What comes out is pure liquid gold: smooth, rich and deeply satisfying. A little seasoning, and it’s ready for its clever trick—the freezer. This gorgeous gravy freezes beautifully, making it a brilliant thing to have tucked away ahead of a Sunday roast or festive meal. Knowing it’s already made turns the cooking of a big feast from slightly stressful to entirely manageable.

The real magic, however, happens on the day you serve it. Once your roast—be it turkey, chicken, pork or anything else—is resting, you simply pour this pre-made gravy into the tray. As it warms, it picks up all the roasting juices left behind, absorbing the meaty, savoury flavours and creating a gorgeous gravy that tastes like it has been tended to all afternoon. No last-minute panic, no frantic whisking. Just calm, confident cooking.

Finally, once everything is well combined, pour it into a warm serving jug and take it to the table with pride. Watching it pool over slices of meat or soak into mash never gets old. Gorgeous Gravy really is the sort of thing that makes a meal feel complete—simple ingredients, slowly coaxed into something truly special.

Gorgeous Gravy Ahead of Time

Gorgeous Gravy is a rich, make-ahead gravy made from roasted vegetables and chicken wings, producing a deeply flavoured base that enhances any roast dinner. Finished in the roasting tray on the day, it absorbs all the meat juices for an irresistibly full-bodied result.

4.83 from 69 votes

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Course: Gravy, Sauce

Cuisine: British

Keyword: Alcohol, Chicken, Gorgeous Gravy, Gravy, Stock, Vegetables

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 29kcal

Equipment

• Roasting Tin

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Ingredients

 

MetricImperial

• ▢ 1 tbsp light olive oil
• ▢ 3 large carrots peeled and roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 large red onion cut into wedges
• ▢ 5 large Chicken wings
• ▢ 1 large white wine glass
• ▢ 1 tbsp cornflour
• ▢ 2 ltrs chicken stock

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Mix the oil, carrots, onion and chicken wings in a roasting tin.
  1 tbsp light olive oil, 3 large carrots, 1 large red onion, 5 large Chicken wings
• Put the roasting tin in the oven and roast for 45 minutes until the chicken is golden-brown and the vegetables soft.
• Transfer the roasting tin to the hob over a medium heat.
• Add the white wine, if using, or pour in a glass of water.
  1 large white wine
• De-glaze the tin and scrape off any caramelised bits on the bottom of the tin. When done, remove from the heat.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables and chicken to a large saucepan.
• Stir in the cornflour until thoroughly combined.
  1 tbsp cornflour
• Add the liquid from the roasting tin and the stock.
  2 ltrs chicken stock
• Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
• As it bubbles away use a fork to break up the chicken and vegetables as much as you can.
• Strain the gravy through a fine sieve into a freezeable container, pushing through as much of the chicken and vegetables as you can.
• Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Allow the gravy to cool completely.
• Then cover with a lid and transfer to the freezer. Defrost in the fridge the night before you want to serve it.
• When your roast meat is resting, add the premade gravy to the roasting tray. Heat gently, and stir thoroughly to incorporate all the flavours from the turkey as well for an unbelievable gravy.
• Stir the gorgeous gravy well and pour into a serving jug.

Notes

This gorgeous gravy will keep well in the freezer for about three months in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Calories: 29kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.1g