There are few things better than properly made gravy on a Sunday dinner.
This post is entirely dedicated to the goodness of gravy.

First things first, it’s an actual superfood.
Yes, I am a nutritionist, and yes, I am declaring gravy a superfood.

Superfood = “a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being”

Freshly made gravy is exceptionally full of nutrients. I’m not referring to the boil a kettle and pour some water over the granules kind here, I’m talking about making gravy from scratch.
Don’t worry, the recipe for the meat version is featured here and the veggie version can be found on this link (link pending).
It couldn’t be easier to do and freezes well, so make a mega batch and it’ll keep your dinners saucey for the foreseeable.

Back to the nutrients.
Properly made gravy starts with a base of veg. In this case onions, garlic, carrot and celery, which are understood to all be full of nutrients and therefore good for us.
It then contains the fresh herbs thyme and rosemary. These are also good for us.
Last but not least chicken wings contribute protein (needed) and things like collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin, calcium, B vitamins and many others. Move over expensive collagen-based face creams and joint-supporting supplements with glucosamine and chondroitin because all we really need is a bit of gravy on our dinners.

The good news doesn’t even stop there.
Let me introduce you to the wonder-nutrient quercetin.
As well as our food containing protein, carbs, fats, vitamins and minerals, it also contains bioactive compounds.
Bioactive compounds (big word, I know) are nutritional components that health claims are usually attached to.
Ever heard of garlic being good for the cardiovascular system? That’s down the bioactive compound allicin. What about the skin-boosting power of berries? That right there is the bioactive compound anthocyanin.
I’m sure you are getting the idea.
Quercetin is a bioactive compound found in onions and it’s a pretty stellar little thing.
Studies indicate that quercetin is awesome for the immune system, it may reduce blood pressure, fight inflammation and ease the symptoms associated with allergies amongst others.
Here comes the curveball. Quercetin is only really present in the skin of onions and the part where the root attaches, meaning in an average onion-containing meal, we would throw the majority of it out.
This is actually where gravy can make a mega difference.
By roasting the onions with the skin on and subsequently cooking them with stock, we are extracting that suberbly good for you quercetin and transferring it straight into the gravy.
Told you gravy is a superfood.

Also, let’s not ignore how obscenely nice tasting fresh gravy is.

Here are two recipes for super chicken gravy:

1. If you have a chicken Sunday roast happening
This is a good easy option that makes a very tasty gravy. So easy in fact that you’ll be wondering why you haven’t done this before.
The only downside is it just makes enough gravy to cover the Sunday dinner (generously so).

Here is what you’ll need:
2 small/ medium carrots, washed, don’t even worry about peeling them
1 large stick of celery
2 large onions, cut into quarters, leave the skin on them (see note about quercetin)
3-4 cloves of garlic, left unpeeled
4 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary
Sea salt and black pepper
2 heaped tablespoons of plain flour
300- 500ml of good quality chicken stock, extra points for homemade

Method:
1. Put all of the veg and herbs on a roasting tray.
2. Put the chicken on top of the veg and roast as you would usually (20 mins per 500g plus 30 mins, basting halfway through).
Try and aim to have the herbs and garlic sitting directly under the chicken, this way they won’t burn.
3. Take the roasting tray out of the oven.
4. Take the chicken off the veg and tip it vertically so any juices that collected in the cavity run off. Pop the chicken on a chopping board or warm plate and let it rest whilst you make the gravy.
5. Transfer what is in the roasting tray into a saucepan, scraping as much from the roasting tray as possible.
6. Using a spoon, spoon off any excess fat that has floated to the top. You’ll want some of this fat in the sauce but not all of it.
7. Pop the saucepan on a medium-high heat.
8. Season the gravy mix well with sea salt and black pepper.
9. Cook for a minute and really mash everything down with a wooden spoon. Burst the garlic cloves, smash the celery, carrot and onions into pieces.
10. Add the flour, season again, and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, in order to cook the flour out.
Some of it may catch on the bottom. Keep it from burning but otherwise, this isn’t an issue. The more you cook the mixture, the darker the gravy will be.
11. Add half of the stock and stir really well.
At this stage, everything will thicken up quickly.
12. Add the remaining stock and stir again. It should now be the right gravy consistency, thick and rich.
Allow it to come up to boil and cook for a minute or so. If your gravy is looking thin then cook it a bit longer to thicken it up.
13. Strain the liquid through a sieve to get rid of the solid parts. Make sure to press down on the solid parts as they are sitting in the sieve, so to extract any liquid from it.
Discard the solids and return the liquid to the saucepan.
14. Try the gravy and season it again if it needs more salt & pepper.
15. Warm the gravy through again and it is now good to go.

2. The chicken wing method for freezer gravy
This process is very much the same as for the chicken dinner version but instead of needing a whole chicken, it uses chicken wings.
Thus, this version can be made irrespective of whether you have a Sunday roast happening or not.
It’s a good option to make a big batch of gravy and freeze portions of it since it produces a higher yield.
Make sure to buy good quality, ideally organic, chicken wings. They are inexpensive.

Here is what you’ll need:
2 small/ medium carrots, washed, don’t even worry about peeling them
1 large/ 2 small sticks of celery
3 large onions, cut into quarters, leave the skin on them (see note about quercetin)
4 cloves of garlic, left unpeeled
4 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary
6-8 organic chicken wings
Sea salt and black pepper
3 heaped tablespoons of plain flour
500ml of good quality chicken stock, extra points for homemade
1 teaspoon of vinegar such as apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar (do not use malt vinegar)
Water

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
2. Put all of the veg and herbs on a roasting tray.
3. “Break” the chicken wings by smashing a sharp knife directly into them in 3-4 places. Open up the wing joint. This just ensures more of the flavour is extracted.
4. Put the chicken wings on top of the veg, drizzle with a small amount of rapeseed oil and roast for 1 hour or until the chicken wings are golden.
Try and aim to have the herbs and garlic sitting directly under the chicken wings, this way they won’t burn.
5. Take the roasting tray out of the oven.
6. Transfer what is in the roasting tray into a saucepan, scraping as much from the roasting tray as possible.
7. Add a splash of water to the roasting tray and set this aside.
8. Pop the saucepan on a medium-high heat.
9. Season the gravy mix well with sea salt and black pepper.
10. Cook for a minute and really mash everything down with a wooden spoon. Burst the garlic cloves, smash the chicken wings, celery, carrot and onions into pieces.
10. Add the flour, season again, and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring, in order to cook the flour out.
Some of it may catch on the bottom. Keep it from burning but otherwise, this isn’t an issue. The more you cook the mixture, the darker the gravy will be.
11. Add half of the stock, the water from the roasting tray and stir really well.
At this stage, everything will thicken up quickly.
12. Add the remaining stock, 1 teaspoon of vinegar and a splash of water and stir again.
Allow it to come up to boil, reduce to a bubble and cook until you have reached the desired gravy consistency.
To test this, submerge a tablespoon in the liquid. It should coat the back of the spoon if it’s spot on. If the liquid falls straight off then it’s too thin, so keep cooking it.
13. Strain the liquid through a sieve to get rid of the solid parts. Make sure to press down on the solid parts as they are sitting in the sieve, so to extract any liquid from it.
Discard the solids and return the liquid to the saucepan.
14. Try the gravy and season it again if it needs more salt & pepper.
15. Allow it to cool and portion it into freezer bags.

Pro tips:
- If you want to go fancy, you can add a bit of wine. This would need to go in after the flour and be allowed to “cook out”. Basically, allow it to cook until most of the liquid disappears.
Continue the gravy by adding the stock and follow the remaining points.
White wine works best.
- Go fancy at Christmas by adding a bit of sherry or port. Do this the same way as the wine method described above.
- You can pour the cooking juices from any meat into the gravy. Do this as you are warming it through before you are about to serve the gravy.
- Smoked bacon or lardons are a legitimately good addition for a smokier flavour. The chicken wing method allows for this, just simply add them at the time of roasting. A couple of rashers are enough.
- A teaspoon of cranberry sauce is a nice addition for a more sweet & sour flavour. Stir this through at the end.