Chefs say there’s only one way to make truly delicious gravy
When gravy’s done well, everything on the plate tastes better. If it’s too watery, lumpy or lacking in flavour, a Sunday spread can feel like a let-down. But the good news is that you do not need a restaurant kit to get it right. A handful of smart, simple ingredients and a reliable method are enough to turn a pan of juices into something you will want to pour over everything.
I asked chefs across the country, and they all gave the same advice: avoid shop-bought granules and start with actual ingredients. Michelin-star chef Mark Poynton calls pan and roasting juices a non-negotiable starting point, noting that “good stock and roasting juices always make gravy delicious”.
Sean Blood, head chef at ROAM, is equally adamant about patience: “You can’t cheat flavour. Gravy needs to be slowly reduced.” THis allows time and collagen to build “depth, richness, and complexity” and that naturally glossy body.
They say you should start with a hot roasting tin, scrape every browned bit and let the base thicken before reaching for the prized ingredient that truly adds flavour. Several chefs agree that this is umami, which you can get from various items.
Chef Jack Stein recommends a modern store cupboard quartet: “a dash of soy sauce and marmite, cider vinegar and mirin” to deliver a deep, rounded profile in traditional gravy. Jack said it’s a versatile flavour combination that complements any Sunday roast and is “perfect on sausages and mash.”
There are other routes to the same umami results. Mark Hearthstone, chef proprietor of La Fosse at Cranborne, reaches for “dried fungi”, adding instant woodland depth to game, beef, and mushroom gravies.
Umami is a distinctly savoury flavour derived from glutamates like monosodium glutamate (MSG). These are naturally found in mushrooms, but if you’re lacking the dried kind, your cupboard may have the answer.
Matt Fletcher of Great Central Pub says Worcestershire sauce “is a must… it really opens the flavours and adds a full-bodied punch of flavour,” a small splash being enough to add tang and depth.
However, it is deemed an ultra-processed food as it contains ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, which you may not want in gravy, particularly if your focus is on using whole foods.
Once your gravy has that delicious umami flavour, you may wish to add some acidity to the mix. Some chefs suggest a dash of balsamic vinegar, apple cider or white wine, though all should be used sparingly to avoid overwhelming the sauce.
Finish matters, too, says Dean Harper of Harper Fine Dining. The chef’s simplest upgrade is “a knob of butter” whisked in right at the end for “a silky smooth texture and delicious buttery taste.”
This move makes the gravy creamy without dulling the savoury core, because butter’s milk solids add sheen while its fat carries flavour.
But while butter can improve the creaminess, too much of it results in excessive fat which can make a sauce greasy. A modest knob of butter is enough for subtle glossiness.