GORGEOUS GRAVY: make/freeze ahead, healthier, dairy-free option,

Christmas dinner is not dinner without excellent gravy

posted 2019; updated 2024

Vegetarian Red Wine Gravy, here with Festive Vegetarian Pate & Mushroom Dome.

Gravy is essential at Christmas dinner and 67 has a choice of 4 tried and tested recipes.  Two are vegetarian; all except one are rich, creamy without dairy and muscular in flavour.  Best of all, they can be made right now - or any time up Christmas - frozen and reheated for the Big Day.  

(All recipes below the line)

1.  67's Classic Vegetarian Gravy

Popular super-healthy vegan gravy which looks and tastes so much like meat gravy, carnivores like it.  It goes double duty, which means cook can make two different gravies from one base.  

  

2. Jaimie Oliver's Super Gravy

No apologies for including Jamie's gloriously, unashamedly carnivore version.  The gravy is out-of-the world delicious, rich with hidden vegetables which add an ultra-healthy layer of goodness.  Easy peasy.

3.  Vegan Red Wine Gravy: 

Unusually rich and luxurious for a vegan dish; easy.  The blog's tasters - two mature middle-aged men - definitely not teetotallers - loved it. 

4.  Turkey Juices - the healthiest version of meat gravy

1. Pour off fat from the pan in which the turkey was cooked
2. Pour the rest through a strainer into a pot
3. Keep warm until ready to serve

RECIPES

1. Vegetarian/vegan gravy

This lovely gravy, adapted from The Vegetarian Feast by Martha Rose Shulman (sadly out of print), is surprisingly tasty.  

No insipid, uninspiring gravy, this.  It's richly flavoured, silky textured and healthier than meat gravies.  Some say adding mushrooms enriches the flavour and texture but others are happy without.  67 prefers the version with mushrooms.

Carnivores like it as it is and love it more once fat-free turkey juices are added, transforming it into a voluptuous meat gravy,    

Cost: £1, if that
Makes: 2 cups/half a litre

Ingred:

   3 tbsp sunflower oil

    1/2 med onion grated (medium or coarse on box) 

    for mushroom gravy: couple of large handfuls sliced mushrooms

    3 tbsp flour (67 used spelt but wheat is fine) 

    2 cups/400ml vegetable stock; you need good stock for this so if not home-made then good granules

   1/4 tsp rosemary

   1/4 tsp thyme

   

   small bay leaf

   single baked garlic clove, kept whole

   slice raw ginger

   1-2 tbsp reduced-(not low)-salt soy (depending on blood pressure and taste.)  

   4-8 dashes Worcestershire Sauce (opt but flavour suffers without) or try making your own Vegan Worcestershire Sauce at The Short Order Cook, bottom of page (note: 67 has not tested the home-made sauce recipe)

   1/4 tsp pepper

Method:

1. Heat oil in a non-stick saucepan on med high  
2. Add onions, stir for a few minutes without browning (If using mushrooms, add here, cook until juices run & begin to disappear)
3. Add flour, stir; turn heat up a bit; cook, stirring, until it begins to smell toasty and turn brown (a few mins)
4. Take pan off heat; gradually add stock, whisking/stirring continuously until the gravy is smooth 
5. Return pan to stove; bring to the boil;  add rosemary, thyme  bay leaf, garlic & ginger.  Simmer on low heat 10 mins.  
6. The gravy should be the thickness of double cream.  If too thick, add a little more stock or water.  If too thin, add 1 tsp cornflour or rice flour mixed with one tbsp cold water and stir till thickened.
7. Add soy sauce and pepper, Worcestershire sauce; remove bay leaf, garlic & ginger  (If the sauce needs pepping up, try add a pinch of chilli sauce and a little lime juice)
8. Keep warm if serving immediately or cool completely overnight in the fridge and freeze in an airtight container.
9. Defrost overnight in the fridge; heat gently, check seasoning.  Thicken or thin as necessary (step 8)
10. If serving separate gravy for carnivores, divide accordingly.  Whisk in meat  juices (without fat).  Serve in a tureen or bowl easily differentiated from the vegan gravy.  

2.  Jaimie Oliver's Super Gravy (with 67's modifications)

Super-yum.  Thank you Jaimie.

Ingreds

  2 med onions, peeled OR large fennel (tough outer leaves & fronds removed, soaked in a 9:1 solution of water & vinegar or salt 20 mins; drain, remove bottom 1/4 inch of fennel bulb)

  2 med carrots, washed 

  2 sticks celery

  (the above roughly chopped)

  2 bay leaves

  2 sprigs fresh, or 1/8-1/4 tsp sage

  2 sprigs fresh, or 1/8-1/4 tsp rosemary

  2 star anise or 1/2 tsp 5-spice powder(opt)

  10 chicken wings, pref free-range

  olive oil

  60 ml/1/4 cup sherry or port (opt)

   4 tbsp plain flour

   2 litres boiling water

   2 tbsp cranberry sauce (opt)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c/350f/gas4
2. Place vegetables and seasoning in a high sided sturdy roasting tin
3. Layer chicken wings on top, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.  Bake one hour or until wings are tender
4. Cool slightly; separate chicken wings into drums & winglet; return to pan
5. Place tin over low heat; mash everything together with a potato basher; the vegetables should be like pulp; the wing flesh loosened from the bones
6. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the bits from the bottom while continuing to cook for a few minutes; add sherry/port if using
7. Sprinkle flour over, mix well; add 2 litres  boiling water; simmer 30 mins stirring occasionally, further loosening the wing flesh, until thick & reduced
8. Pour through a coarse strainer, mashing the contents with the back of a spoon (Remove bones from what's left behind and add to soup stock)
9. Cool one hour; rest overnight in fridge.  
10. Remove any fat which has come to the surface, package up (there will be enough for more than one meal); freeze
11. When needed, defrost overnight in the bottom of the fridge
12. Gently heat in a large pan; add juices (no fat) from the turkey

3.  VEGETARIAN/VEGAN RED WINE GRAVY

67 is not a great fan of red wine and it was not easy finding a delicious balance between classic gravy flavour and red wine.  A decent wine is obviously a pre-requisite.  The blog's tasters - two mature middle-aged men who are definitely not teetotallers - loved it. 

Cost:£3'ish, depending on what's in the wine store

Serves: a decent amount

Ingredients:

1 med red onion, finely chopped, or equivalent fodmap friendly scallions, green tops only

1 peeled celery stick, well cleaned, peeled & finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 whole baked garlic cloves (opt); (baked garlic seems to be more fodmap friendly and can be removed at the end of cooking)

125ml red wine (vegan wine for vegans)

35 gm red lentils, well washed, soaked in boiling water 30 mins & drained

1 tbsp vegetarian stock granules

350 ml water or stock

1/2-1 tb Dijon or Wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp cranberry sauce

shot of brandy or whiskey

zest of half a large orange

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives  

Method:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, cook celery and onions  in olive until soft, without browning (about 10mins)
2. Add add red wine; bubble gently until liquid is reduced by half (about 10-15 mins)
3. Add lentils,whole garlic cloves & rest of ingredients; bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer; cook 30 mins
4. If you like, remove garlic cloves
5. Check seasoning
6. Blitz in food processor; if too thick for your liking, thin with stock

Comments:

'The gravy was amazing, really unusual, and would be great with any dinner.' Political Agent plus Retired Paratrooper

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These recipes has been adapted and developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.