The encyclopaedia of gravy
A good gravy boat pours in a controlled stream, holds enough for the table, and does not chill the gravy on the way. A buying guide.
What makes a good one¶
A long, well-drawn lip. This is the difference between a controlled stream and a glug that lands in a puddle. Test it in the shop if you can — a poorly formed lip dribbles down the outside, and no amount of technique fixes it.
A wide mouth. Easy to fill from a pan, easy to whisk a skin out of, easy to wash.
Capacity of around 500 ml for four to six people. Two small boats are often better than one large one at a long table.
A stable base, or a matching stand. A full boat is heavy and top-heavy ones tip.
A drip stand or tray. Every gravy boat drips eventually.
Materials¶
| Material | Heat retention | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Porcelain / bone china | Poor unless warmed | The classic; warm it first |
| Stoneware | Good | Heavy, holds heat well |
| Cast iron (enamelled) | Excellent | Heavy; can go on a low hob to reheat |
| Stainless steel | Poor | Light, unbreakable, loses heat fast |
| Double-walled / insulated | Excellent | Ugly to some, effective to all |
| Silver | Poor | Lovely; warm it and expect to polish it |
The warming trick¶
Whatever the material, fill the boat with boiling water while the gravy finishes, then tip it out and dry it just before pouring. A cold ceramic boat takes several degrees off hot gravy immediately, and gravy is served too cool far more often than too hot. See keeping gravy warm.
The separator boat¶
Some gravy boats double as fat separators, pouring from below the fat line. Genuinely useful for a tin-made gravy, and it saves a piece of washing up.
Two boats, one table¶
At Christmas, make two: one meat gravy and one vegetarian, in visibly different jugs. Use a labelled tag if there is any doubt. Guests should not have to ask.
History¶
The form descends from the eighteenth-century silver and porcelain sauce boat, including double-lipped Georgian versions designed to be poured from either end. See gravy boats history.