The encyclopaedia of gravy
The juices that collect in a roasting tin and under resting meat are concentrated, seasoned and already full of gelatin — and most of the flavour of a good gravy.
When meat roasts, it loses 15–25% of its weight, almost all as liquid. Some evaporates; the rest collects in the tin, and some continues to seep out while the meat rests.
Two kinds¶
Tin juices. Mixed with rendered fat, and partly caramelised where they touched hot metal. These contain the dissolved fond and are the base of a pan gravy.
Resting juices. The clear, dark liquid that gathers under meat as it rests. These have not been heated further, so they are the most delicately flavoured and the most concentrated in dissolved protein. Add them at the end of gravy-making, off the boil, so nothing is lost.
Separating fat from juices¶
Pour everything into a jug and wait a minute. Fat floats. Then:
- Pour from a fat separator jug, which draws from beneath the fat layer;
- or spoon the fat off the top;
- or chill until the fat sets and lift it off.
Keep the fat. It is beef dripping or chicken fat, and it roasts excellent potatoes.
See straining and skimming gravy.
How much you get¶
| Joint | Typical juices |
|---|---|
| 1.5 kg chicken | 100–150 ml, quite fatty |
| 2 kg beef topside | 100–200 ml |
| 2 kg pork shoulder | 250 ml+, very fatty |
| 5 kg turkey | 300–500 ml |
| Slow-roast lamb shoulder | 400 ml+, very fatty |
This is why gravy needs stock as well: the juices alone will not fill a jug.
Getting more of them¶
- Roast on a trivet of vegetables, so the juices do not scorch.
- Use a snug tin. In too large a tin they spread thin and burn.
- Do not add water during roasting — it dissolves the fond and steams the meat.
- Rest the meat properly, and tip in what collects. See why resting meat matters for gravy.