The encyclopaedia of gravy
Ready-made gravies have improved considerably, and the chilled ones made with real stock are a reasonable substitute for homemade when there is no roasting tin involved.
The categories¶
Chilled tubs and pouches. Usually the best. The premium ranges are made with real stock, roasted meat juices and sometimes wine, and they reheat into something respectable. Short shelf life and the highest price.
Ambient jars. Shelf-stable, and it shows. The heat treatment required tends to flatten the flavour, and many are noticeably sweet and over-thickened. Useful in a cupboard emergency.
Frozen. Uncommon but good — freezing preserves flavour far better than sterilising, and frozen gravy portions defrost quickly.
Restaurant-style / chef-branded. Usually chilled, usually the most expensive, and frequently excellent. Worth a look before Christmas.
How to buy well¶
Read the ingredients in order. You want stock, meat juices or roasted bones near the top, and you would rather not see sugar or glucose syrup high on the list.
Check the salt per 100 ml, which varies by a factor of two or more between products.
Check the quantity. Many tubs hold 300–350 ml, which is two servings, not four. Buy more than you think.
Improving one¶
The same techniques as for granules, and they work just as well:
- Reheat gently, never at a hard boil.
- Whisk in any pan juices you have.
- Loosen with a splash of stock or vegetable water — most are over-thick out of the tub.
- A knob of butter off the heat.
- Black pepper, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
See instant gravy granules for the full list.
The honest comparison¶
A good chilled supermarket gravy beats a poorly made homemade one, and loses comfortably to a pan gravy made from a roasting tin. If you have the tin, use the tin — it costs ten minutes and nothing at all.
Where ready-made earns its place is a weeknight dinner, a sausage-and-mash supper, or as a backup jug at Christmas when the main one runs out.