The encyclopaedia of gravy
Gravy concentrates as it cooks, so seasoning is the last thing you do. The four levers are salt, acid, pepper and a little sweetness.
A gravy that "tastes of nothing" is usually not under-salted. It is under-reduced, under-browned or lacking acid. Salt cannot fix those.
The order of operations¶
- Build flavour — browning, fond, aromatics.
- Reduce to the consistency you want.
- Then season.
Seasoning before reducing is how gravy becomes inedible — see fixing gravy that is too salty.
The four levers¶
Salt¶
Taste first. Stock cubes, granules, soy sauce, bacon, gammon and salted crackling all arrive pre-salted. Add in small pinches, stir, wait ten seconds, taste again.
Taste at serving temperature. Very hot liquid reads as less salty than warm liquid, so a gravy seasoned at a rolling simmer can be over-salted on the plate.
Acid¶
The most under-used lever. A gravy that tastes heavy, flat or "muddy" almost always wants acid, not salt:
- Worcestershire sauce — 1 tsp, adds acid and umami together
- A splash of wine, reduced
- ½ tsp balsamic, sherry or cider vinegar
- A small squeeze of lemon, especially in chicken gravy
- A spoon of the pickle juice from the cornichon jar, in a beef gravy
Pepper¶
Black pepper, coarsely ground, for brown gravies — and generously in sausage gravy and white gravy, where it is the defining flavour. White pepper in pale gravies where black specks would show, and in chicken and milk gravies where its slightly fermented note suits.
Grind it fresh. Pre-ground pepper loses its aromatics within weeks.
Sweetness¶
Balances salt and acid and rounds a harsh gravy:
- Caramelised onions (the best source, because it comes with flavour)
- 1 tsp redcurrant jelly in lamb or turkey gravy
- A pinch of sugar in a beer gravy, to offset bitterness
- A spoon of cranberry sauce at Christmas
Other seasonings worth knowing¶
| Ingredient | Effect | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Yeast extract | Deep savoury, dark | ½ tsp per litre |
| Soy sauce or tamari | Salt + umami + colour | 1 tsp |
| Mustard | Sharpness and emulsifying help | 1 tsp, especially with pork |
| Anchovy (in lamb or beef) | Reads as depth, not fish | 1 fillet, melted in |
| Miso | Savoury, slightly sweet | 1 tsp, whisked into a little liquid first |
| A grating of nutmeg | Traditional in white gravy | A scrape only |
Tasting properly¶
Use a clean spoon each time. Taste three times: once before seasoning, once after, and once just before it goes to the table. Between tastes, wait — your palate adjusts to salt within seconds and you will over-season if you keep tasting continuously.