Archers Butchers’ Make-Ahead Best Ever Christmas Gravy
Christmas Dinner can be a stressful time, so having a few get-ahead Christmas Food Hacks can not only save a lot of time, but also give your guests a WoW factor like they’ve never had before, so this week, we’re letting you into our very own recipes that are tried and tested winners.
We’re starting with the Make-Ahead Best Ever Christmas Gravy that’s rich and flavourful gravy, crafted using Archers Butchers’ Norfolk streaky bacon and 1kg of our gorgeous Archers chicken wings.
It’s a perfect way to prepare ahead, leaving you free to enjoy Christmas Day.
The addition of cranberry sauce brings a subtle sweetness, while roasted garlic and bay leaves in the vegetable trivet, enhance the depth of flavour. Adding parsnips and a good quality chicken stock makes this gravy an absolute winner.
For the Best Ever Christmas Gravy you’re going to need the following or mix up your ingredients dependent on how many you’re making for.
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 carrots, washed and roughly chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sticks of celery, roughly chopped
8 rashers of **Archers Norfolk streaky bacon**, chopped
2 fresh bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh sage
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1kg of **Archers chicken wings**, broken and bashed for maximum flavour
Olive oil
4 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons good quality cranberry sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 litre chicken stock or water
Make Ahead Christmas Food Hacks
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
Add the onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, bacon, bay leaves, sage, rosemary, and garlic to a big sturdy roasting tray. Scatter the bacon liberally over the top. Roasting parsnips along with the other vegetables adds a natural sweetness to the base.
Place the Archers Norfolk chicken wings in the tray, bashing them lightly with a rolling pin to help release their flavours. Drizzle everything with a good quality olive oil, season generously with sea salt and black pepper, and mix well. Roast for 1 hour until golden and tender.
Remove the tray from the oven and place it on a low heat on the hob. Use a masher to crush the roasted ingredients, then scrape up all the tasty bits from the base the tray to really get the flavours combined.
Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir thoroughly to combine. Gradually add the chicken stock and boiling water (about 1 litre each), stirring continuously. Let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the gravy has thickened and the vegetables have broken down.
Strain the mixture through a coarse sieve into a large bowl, two or three scoops at a time, pressing down with the back of a big metal spoon if you have one, to extract all the rich flavours.
Scrape the mixture as much as possible by pressing down and mixing in the sieve, to extract every last drop and dispose of the mashed veg and chicken mix. Season to taste, then allow it to cool before storing in containers or bags.
Refrigerate or freeze until Christmas Day. Please note, DO NOT FREEZE if you’ve used frozen, pre made chicken stock.
If you love this recipe, why not head over to our News page where you’ll find our Incredible Crispiest Christmas Roast Potatoes.
