Classic Roast Lamb Gravy

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10 December 2019 BY Julie Biuso
SERVES: Makes enough for 8

Read the tips on how to achieve silky smooth deep golden brown gravy.

Ingredients

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Sediment from roasting a leg of lamb 3 Tbsp standard flour 2 cups light stock, or potato or green bean water (from cooking vegetables) Salt Optional extras: a little freshly squeezed orange juice, or pomegranate

Method

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1 Once the meat is roasted attend to the sediment in the roasting tin. Scrape up and remove any burned bits but be sure to leave dark brown ‘goo’ as this will flavour the gravy. Tilt roasting tin and scoop off most of the fat, leaving a scant 3 tablespoons of fat and fat-coated sediment. Stir in flour (use an equal ratio of fat to flour for gravy, so adjust accordingly). The important thing is that the flour should absorb all the fat. If there are oily slicks, add more flour to absorb them or they will float to the top of the finished gravy.

2 Place roasting tin over a low heat and slowly let the flour brown, stirring often. Slowly stir in stock or vegetable water one-third at a time, stirring with a slotted spatula or spoon or small whisk. Once all the stock is added, increase heat to medium. Stir constantly, squashing any lumps that form.

3 Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 2-3 minutes to cook the flour through. If the gravy is too thin, bubble away to reduce, stirring often. If it is too thick, thin it with more stock or water. And if it is lumpy, run it through a sieve. Season with salt, then finish with a generous splash of pomegranate molasses (no more than 2 teaspoons per 2 cups of stock) or a squeeze of orange juice.

4 And here’s an idea: rather than having the bother of making gravy at the very last minute, make it as soon as you have the meat out of the roasting tin. Transfer it to a small saucepan as soon as it’s made and cover with a lid to stop a skin from forming. This gets the cumbersome roasting tin out of the way. When ready to serve the roasted meat, quickly reheat gravy and pour it piping hot into a heated sauceboat or jug. This way you have skin-free lovely hot gravy!

For more tips on making perfect gravy go to How to make lump-free gravy