Gravy without Drippings
There’s far too many instances when I want gravy all up in my face as quickly as possible. You know, sometimes there’s no time roast an entire chicken or beef joint just for the drippings. We want gravy and we want it now. That’s why making gravy from scratch without meat juices is so awesome – you cut out the middle man.
Make Ahead Gravy
Another great use of a no drippings gravy is that you can prepare it ahead of time, meaning that’s one extra thing you’re not needing to prep with your meal. Same awesome rich flavours as a regular gravy – no false promises! Follow me…
How to make Gravy from scratch without drippings
At its absolute bare bones, you can create a gravy by simply making a roux using stock instead of milk. If you’re using good quality stock you can sometimes get away with it, but in my experience you need a few extra goodies in order to bring the gravy up to the standard of a meat drippings gravy.
Base Flavour
The base of this gravy is the holy trinity of onion, carrot and celery. This gives a gorgeous background flavour and mimics the way roasted veggies infuse into meat drippings.
Gravy Seasoning
When it comes to seasoning the gravy I keep it fairly simple. Here’s the usual suspects for me:
Worcestershire Sauce – You won’t need much, but a dash of Worcestershire sauce really brings this gravy to life! Bouillon – Either powdered or crumbled. This enhances the meaty flavours in the gravy. Herbs – Only a pinch, but adding both dried thyme and rosemary gives a very gentle background flavour. This mimics any herbs you may have roasted your meat with.
Process shots: melt butter (photo 1), add holy trinity and garlic (photo 2), fry until soft (photo 3), add flour (photo 4), stir into paste (photo 5), gradually add in stock (photo 6), add seasoning (photo 7), blitz until smooth (photo 8).
What stock to use for gravy?
Typically you’d use chicken stock if serving with chicken and beef for beef. But as this is more of an ‘all purpose’ gravy which isn’t necessarily served with either, I use a 50/50 mix of beef and chicken stock. As the stock makes up the bulk of the gravy try and use good quality stock. I also recommend using low-sodium stock, just so you’ve got more control over the seasoning.
How do you store gravy?
Allow to completely cool then tightly seal in the fridge or freezer.
How long does gravy last in the fridge?
It’ll keep comfortably for 3-4 days (longer at your discretion). Just ensure you reheat until piping hot again.
How do you reheat gravy?
Your best bet is to reheat on a low heat in a pan, stirring as you go to ensure it doesn’t split (thaw in fridge if frozen). You can also reheat in short stints in the microwave, stirring in between.
Serving Gravy
What to serve with gravy?
Roast Chicken (or any other roasted meat) Goes perfectly as a dip for Pigs in Blankets Poured over Homemade Sausages and Mashed Potato Great with Toad in the Hole A British delicacy is of course Chips and gravy You can even serve it with Fried Chicken (or Chicken Fried Potatoes!) Meatballs!
If you’re looking for another delicious and easy homemade gravy check out my Red Wine Onion Gravy! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this gravy without drippings shall we?!
How to make Gravy without Drippings (Full Recipe & Video)
If you loved this Homemade Gravy recipe then be sure to Pin it for later! Already made it or got a question? Give me a shout in the comments and pick up your free ecookbook along the way!
