A Proper British Gravy Recipes

PROPER CHICKEN PIE

Steps:

• Use a large sharp knife to carefully cut down the back bone of the chicken, cutting it in half. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil into a large non-stick frying pan on a high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and sear for 10 minutes, or until golden. Reserve the pan for the cabbage.
• Meanwhile, chop the pancetta into 1cm chunks, pick in the thyme leaves and place in a large shallow casserole pan with 1 teaspoon of oil. Put it on a medium heat so the fat renders out, while you wash and trim the white part of the leek (save the green for making soup) and the celery. Peel the onion and carrot, then roughly chop all the veg into 1.5cm chunks and add to the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, or until softened.
• Stir in 2 heaped tablespoons of flour, cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the cider. Let it bubble away for 2 minutes or until almost evaporated, then stir in the mustard and stock. Add the chicken breast-side down, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook on a low heat for 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
• Meanwhile, for the pastry, put the flour in a bowl with a good pinch of salt. Grate in the cold butter, then rub with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs. Pour in 100ml of cold water, mix with a fork, then bring together with your hands until it forms a dough, adding an extra splash of water if needed. Divide into 2 pieces - you will need ⅓ for the lid and ⅔ for the base - flatten with your hands and chill until needed.
• Finely slice the mushrooms and set aside.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred the meat (discard the carcass).
• Stir the mushrooms into the pan, followed by the shredded chicken and the crème fraîche, mix well and season to taste.
• Strain the chicken mixture through a sieve over a clean pan to catch the liquid, gently pressing to help it along, and reserve for your gravy. Leave to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
• Lightly grease a 30cm pie dish with oil. Roll out the larger piece of pastry between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper to just a few millimetres thick and use it to line the dish - allow an overhang. Press firmly into the edges and up the sides of the dish.
• Fill with the cooled chicken mixture, then carefully roll out and top with the remaining piece of pastry. Beat the egg and brush a little over the edge of the lid then fold over the overhang and press down gently to seal. Egg wash the pie all over, then make a small incision in the centre to let the steam escape and bake at the bottom of the oven for 1 hour, or until the pastry is golden and the pie is piping hot.
• Click off and discard any tatty outer leaves from the cabbage, then cut in half. Halve the core, then finely slice. Roughly chop the rest into large chunks. Place the chicken pan on a high heat, add the cabbage stalks and fry for 2 minutes, then go in with the leaves and a splash of water and cook for 5 minutes more, or until softened and lightly charred. Stir in the mustard, then add a pinch of salt and white pepper with a splash of water, and simmer for 1 minute, tossing a few times.
• Reheat the gravy and enjoy with the pie and cabbage. Delicious served with creamy mash.

ONION GRAVY FOR BRITISH BANGERS AND MASH

Steps:

• Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in the melted butter until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and cook until onions are caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
• Stir flour into the caramelized onions and cook for 1 minute.
• Pour red wine, chicken stock (see Editor's Note), Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce into the onion mixture; simmer until sauce is thickened, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

EASY RICH ONION GRAVY

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Melt the oil and butter in a large saucepan over a gentle heat to ensure the butter does not burn.
• Add the thinly sliced onions to the pan, stir, and cover with a lid.
• Cook slowly on low heat for approximately 10 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent. Take care not to burn them. The onions should not be browned but soft and translucent instead.
• Add the sugar and balsamic vinegar to the onions and stir well to ensure the onions are coated. Cover again with the lid and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes, again making sure they don't burn.
• Add the beef stock to the pan and stir well. Increase the heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
• In a heatproof jar, liquid measuring cup, or bowl, mix the cornstarch with the cold water to create a thin, lump-free paste.
• Pour a little of the hot gravy into the starch mixture and shake or mix thoroughly.
• Pour the starch mixture back into the gravy. Raise the heat to high and boil hard for 10 minutes, or until the gravy is slightly thickened.
• Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until ready to serve.

A PROPER BRITISH GRAVY

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. Gather and prep your ingredients.
• 3. Add about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil to a pot over medium heat.
• 4. Add the ground beef, and use a wooden spoon to break it up as you cook.
• 5. Allow it to cook for a few minutes; it should still be slightly pink.
• 6. Remove from the pot, and place into a food processor, fitted with an S-blade, and then lightly season with some salt and pepper.
• 7. Give the partially cooked beef a few 1-second pulses, until it's finely ground, but not mush.
• 8. Return the beef to the pot and finish cooking.
• 9. Chef's Note: If you want to skip these steps, you can always have your butcher finely grind the beef right at the store.
• 10. Add the onion and rosemary leaves to the pot.
• 11. Continue to stir until most of the liquid from the onions has been cooked off, about 15 minutes.
• 12. Deglaze the pot using the light ale, and a wooden spoon.
• 13. Chef's Note: Deglazing a pan utilizes a liquid (wine, beer, broth), to soften up and incorporate those yummy dried bits of flavor stuck to the bottom of the pan (called fonds) back into the recipe.
• 14. Cook until slightly reduced in volume, about 3 to 5 minutes.
• 15. Add the flour, dry mustard, jam, and vinegar to the two cups of water and whisk to combine.
• 16. Add the water and the beef stock to the skillet, and reduce heat to a simmer.
• 17. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until nice and thick.
• 18. Chef's Note: During this time, season with more salt and pepper, to taste.
• 19. Chef's Tip: I like to add a pinch of cayenne (especially in the cold Winter months) for a bit of a kick.
• 20. After 30 minutes add the gravy to a food processor fitted with an S-blade, and pulse until smooth.
• 21. Return to the pot, and keep warm until ready to use.
• 22. PLATE/PRESENT
• 23. Chef's Note: Serve this over just about any beef, to add a bit of dimension to the dish.
• 24. In this example, I use it with some homemade meatballs as an alternative to the traditional Italian tomato sauce that would normally be used. These will be one of my New Year appetizers. Enjoy.
• 25. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

SIMPLE ONION GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion and sprinkle with the sugar, then cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the onion is soft and lightly caramelised.
• Sprinkle the flour over the onion, stir and cook for 1 minute. Gradually stir in the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer gently until thickened.

PROPER TURKEY GRAVY

Steps:

• Put the onions and carrot in a large pan with the turkey neck (optional). Pour in stock and simmer for 1 hr. Strain to remove the vegetables and turkey, then return the liquid to the pan. (For a textured gravy, remove the turkey and, using a stick blender, blitz carrot and onion into the stock until very smooth.)
• Blend the flour with the white wine or water, then blend this into the stock, stirring over the heat until thickened. Cool, then chill. Will keep for several days or freeze for 1 month. Thaw in the fridge a day ahead. Heat in a pan until piping hot, then add the juices from the turkey and season to taste.

PROPER ENGLISH COTTAGE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• To Make Meat Filling: Place a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble in ground beef and saute 1 minute. Add onion and carrot, then continue to saute until meat is no longer pink and onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Mix in flour, cinnamon, mixed herbs, and parsley.
• In a small bowl, combine beef broth and tomato paste. Mix together, then add to beef mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower heat and simmer mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until almost all of liquid has been absorbed. Spoon mixture into a 9 inch pie plate.
• To Make Potato Topping: Place diced potatoes in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and place over high heat. Allow to come to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain.
• Mash potatoes until smooth, then add butter or margarine, followed by milk. Whip until fluffy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread potatoes over beef filling. Sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until top is browned and cheese is bubbly.