Make Ahead Gravy for Christmas Day
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Make Ahead Gravy for Christmas Day
Christmas time can be filled with joy, excitement, and of course, plenty of cooking. But let’s face it—Christmas Day can sometimes get a bit hectic in the kitchen! One thing you won’t need to worry about, though, is the gravy. By preparing it ahead of time, you’ll save yourself valuable time and energy and have more room to enjoy all of the special moments.
Why You’ll Love Make Ahead Gravy
Christmas should be about enjoying time with your family and friends, not stressing over every little detail. That’s why this delicious make ahead gravy is such a fantastic solution. It’s packed with rich, savoury flavours that develop beautifully over the cooking time. The key ingredients—chicken wings, vegetables, and fresh herbs—create a deep, hearty base, while a splash of wine and port add just the right amount of richness. With this make ahead gravy, you can enjoy all the goodness of a homemade gravy without the last-minute rush.
How to Prepare Make Ahead Gravy for Christmas Day
While the recipe for make ahead gravy does take a little bit of time and attention (truly not too much), the result is completely worth it. And the best part? You can make it well ahead of time and simply store it in the fridge, so when Christmas Day arrives, you’re already ahead of the game.
To start, heat some olive oil in a pan, and sauté your onions, carrots, and celery until soft and aromatic. Then, add the chicken wings and cook until golden. Combining herbs like rosemary and sage brings wonderful aromas and flavour to the gravy, filling your kitchen with delicious aromas. After adding dry white wine and port, you’ll let it simmer, creating a rich stock to form the base for your gravy. Once strained, a quick roux made from butter and flour will help thicken it to perfect consistency.
Once your gravy is done, cool it and store it in the fridge. You can make it up to five days ahead, giving you one less thing to juggle when the big day arrives. When you’re ready to serve, reheat it gently on the stove or in the microwave, and you’ll have a beautiful, homemade gravy ready to pour over your Christmas roast.
A Delicious, Heartwarming Addition to Your Christmas Feast
This make ahead gravy isn’t just a time-saver—it’s a flavour-enhancer. It’s the perfect complement to your Christmas roast, adding richness to everything from the turkey to the potatoes and all the tasty side dishes on your table on the big day. Whether you’re enjoying it with roast meats or serving it over mashed potatoes, this gravy brings deliciousness and comfort to the table, making it a true highlight of your festive meal.
Making things easier for yourself
Making your gravy ahead of time means you can truly focus on the joy of Christmas Day without feeling rushed. It’s one less thing to worry about, so you can spend more time making memories with the people who matter most. So, get ahead of the game and prepare your make ahead gravy up to five days in advance. You will be so glad you did.
I highly recommend playing Paul Kelly’s How to Make Gravy when cooking this.
I’d love to take this moment to wish you a really special Christmas & holiday season. I would also like to thank you for your love and support throughout 2024, it’s great appreciated what you show to a small business like ours.
We hope everyone gets spoilt on Christmas and spends much needed time with friends and family.
Love Nellie
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Make Ahead Gravy
Equipment
- 1 large frying pan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 mesh sieve / strainer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 large bowl for straining in to
Ingredients
- 40 ml olive oil
- 10 chicken wings – approx. 600 g
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 large carrot peeled, sliced in 1 cm rounds
- 3 celery stalks sliced in 1 cm pieces
- A small handful of rosemary chopped (approx 30g)
- A small handful of sage leaves chopped (approx 30 g)
- 150 ml dry white wine
- 60 ml port
- 1 litre of chicken stock
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup plain flour
- Salt
- Pepper
- 40 ml Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over med heat.
- Add the onion, carrot & celery and cook for approx five minutes and then add the chicken wings. Turn the heat up a little & cook for approx 10 minutes or until golden. Turn a few times, during this time.
- Add the herbs & stir.
- Increase the heat to high & add the wine & port. Scrape up all the good bits laying on the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes. The liquid will have reduced quite a lot & will be dark. Add approximately one cup of boiling water and let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Strain this stocky -chicken mix through a sieve into a bowl.
- Wash out the pan & place the pan back on the heat & melt the butter. Once melted, add the flour & whisk quickly to make a roux. Be sure to whisk constantly for a few minutes. The roux should be golden and smooth.
- Add the chicken liquid one ladle at a time & whisk it into the roux. Whisk constantly, and make sure to incorporate each addition before adding more. Add some boiling water if you feel you may not have enough gravy. I added an additional cup of water to make 1 full litre of gravy. Simmer, whisking often, until gravy is thickened. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, taste, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- This gravy can be made 5 days ahead & kept covered, in the fridge.
- To reheat, place in a saucepan or microwave and heat on low until it reaches desired temperature.
Notes
To reheat, place in a saucepan or microwave and heat on low until it reaches desired temperature.
Nutrition
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