The encyclopaedia of gravy
Pan gravy is any gravy made directly in the roasting tin or frying pan, using the fat and browned residue left behind. It is the oldest and best method, and it works for any meat.
What it is¶
"Pan gravy" names a method, not an ingredient. When meat roasts or fries, juices escape, hit the hot metal and caramelise into a dark, sticky layer called the fond. That fond is the single most concentrated source of flavour in the kitchen, and pan gravy is the technique for getting it into a sauce.
The sequence never changes, whatever the meat: rest the meat, pour off the excess fat but keep the dark juices, cook flour in the remaining fat, deglaze with liquid while scraping hard, add stock gradually, simmer, season. Everything else on Gravypedia is a variation of this.
History¶
This is the original gravy. Before stock cubes, browning and granules, gravy simply was the juice from the dripping pan, sometimes thickened with flour rubbed into the fat. The word itself referred to those juices from the fourteenth century onwards — see origins of the word gravy.
Industrial products in the twentieth century made gravy available without a roast. They did not improve on the pan.
Typical ingredients¶
| Element | Usual choice | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fond | The browned residue in the tin | Dark brown is flavour; black is bitter — scrape it out and discard |
| Fat | 2 tbsp of what's in the tin | The rest is poured off |
| Thickener | Plain flour, 1 tbsp per 300 ml | Or a cornflour slurry at the end |
| Deglazing liquid | Wine, stock, cider, beer, water | Anything wet will lift the fond |
| Stock | Matched to the meat | Vegetable water is a free and good option |
Flavour profile¶
Whatever the meat tasted like, concentrated. This is the defining advantage of pan gravy: it tastes specifically of the thing you cooked, not generically of "gravy".
What to serve it with¶
With whatever you made it from. The technique also works after frying sausages, chops, liver, burgers, steak or even halloumi — anything that leaves a browned residue behind.
The traditional recipe¶
Serves 4–6 · 15 minutes
You need
- A roasting tin with fond and juices
- 2 tbsp of the fat from the tin
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 150 ml wine, cider or beer (optional)
- 500–600 ml hot stock
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Lift the meat out to rest and tilt the tin. The fat rises above the dark juices — spoon the fat off and reserve 2 tbsp of it, keeping all of the juices.
- Set the tin over a low-medium hob flame. Add the reserved fat if you removed it all.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes, scraping the base.
- Pour in the wine (or a splash of stock) and scrape hard with a wooden spoon until nothing is stuck to the tin.
- Add the hot stock a ladleful at a time, stirring smooth between additions.
- Simmer 5–10 minutes. Add the juices that have collected under the resting meat. Season and strain.
The quick version¶
Serves 2 · 5 minutes
You need
- The frying pan from chops, sausages or steak
- 1 tbsp flour
- 250 ml hot stock
Method
- Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat.
- Stir in the flour over a low heat for a minute.
- Whisk in the hot stock, scraping the pan, and simmer for three minutes.
Vegetarian and vegan versions¶
Roasted vegetables leave a fond too — especially onions, carrots, squash and tomatoes. Roast them in a tin, lift them out, and make pan gravy exactly as above with vegetable stock.
Common mistakes¶
Deglazing a burnt tin — black fond is acrid and will ruin the gravy. If the tin has caught, scrape out the black bits first, or start again in a clean pan.
Washing the tin before making gravy — it happens more often than anyone admits, usually by a helpful guest.
Using the tin over too high a heat — thin roasting tins scorch fast on a hob ring. Medium at most, and keep stirring.
Not scraping properly — if the fond is still stuck to the tin, it isn't in your gravy. Use a wooden spoon and some force.