Gravy making tips are always welcome. A good tasty gravy helps to bring out the full flavour of the meat and it enhances the whole dining experience. Mothers are always willing to share their valuable cooking tips and we are always able to pick up some useful tips and hints from watching the television cooks at work.
Tasty gravy needs a good nutritional stock. The stock that you use is all important. All of the tips in the world will not help you unless you have a decent stock. If time allows then make a pot of fresh stock, initially the thought may seem a little daunting but stock is easy to make.
Tips for your home-made stock.
Take an assortment of vegetables. A couple of carrots and onions. Maybe some celery, leek and tomato. If you like the flavour of swede or turnip then add a small amount of each. Peel and chop the vegetables and add them to a large saucepan that you have three quarters filled with cold water. Take some fresh herbs ( tips for making a bouquet garni can be found on-line ) and add them to the saucepan. Bring the contents of the saucepan to the boil and then turn the heat down so that the stock is left to simmer. Leave the vegetables to simmer until they are cooked. Let the stock cool off before you strain it.
Take a large bowl and place a sieve over the top of the bowl. Pour the cooled stock through the sieve. The bowl of the sieve will then be filled with cooked vegetables which are packed with vitamins and minerals. Take a metal spoon and using the back of the spoon begin to crush the cooked vegetables so that the vegetable purée flows through the sieve into the stock. Once you are left with just the coarse stringy vegetable tips then your stock will be ready to use.
When you remove the meat from the roasting pan there will be a lot of fat and meat juices that you can put to good use. You will only need to use a couple of tablespoons of the fat and meat juices so pour any excess into a bowl and store it in the refrigerator. One of the key tips for using the leftover meat fat is to baste your roast potatoes with it. Keep the roasting tray over a low heat and add a couple of tablespoons of plain flour to the fat and meat juices. Work the flour into the fat and meat juices until you have a smooth paste. Pour some of the fresh home-made vegetable stock into a jug and slowly add it to the paste. As you add the stock make sure that you keep whisking the gravy to ensure that it doesn't go lumpy.
Keep adding the stock until the gravy is the right consistency. Taste the gravy and season accordingly. Pour the gravy into a jug and serve.