Name: Budget big-batch gravy recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2kg chicken wings; 2 rashers bacon; 1 head garlic, halved; 2 brown onions, halved; 3 carrots, roughly chopped; 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped; 2 bay leaves; 20.00 ml olive oil; 375.00 ml plain flour; 5 litres boiling water; 40.00 ml soy sauce; 40.00 ml Worcestershire sauce; 40.00 ml tomato sauce; 2 tsp chicken stock powder; 1-2 tsp salt

by Greer Worsley Last updated on 01/24/2023

Get ahead of the game by making this big batch of budget-friendly gravy. Future you will be very grateful you next time you roast a chook, whip up sausages and mash or cook anything that needs a delicious homemade gravy accompaniment. - Greer Worsley

Ingredients

2kg chicken wings
2 rashers bacon
1 head garlic, halved
2 brown onions, halved
3 carrots, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups plain flour
5 litres boiling water
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tsp chicken stock powder
1-2 tsp salt

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180C. In a large roasting dish, place chicken wings and scarps, bacon, garlic, onions, carrots, celery and bay leaves. Drizzle over the oil and toss to combine. Season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour until everything is golden.
Step 2

Transfer the roasting dish to the stovetop over a medium heat. Use a large heavy potato masher to crush up all of the ingredients while it continues sizzling and cooking in the pan. Sprinkle over flour and stir well, allowing to cook off for 1 minute. Gradually pour in boiling water and stir to combine, using a wooden spoon to scrape all of the goodness off the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the liquid has thickened.
Step 3

In batches, strain the gravy through a metal sieve or strainer into a large saucepan, pressing down against all of the ingredients to extract as much flavour as possible. Discard any leftover solids. Place the pot of strained gravy over gentle heat and add remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine. Check for seasoning and add more salt if required. Allow to cool, then transfer to plastic or glass containers in batches ready to freeze for future use.

Recipe Notes

from Australia’s Best Recipes team

Makes 4 litres.

You should have enough gravy for 6-8 future family-size meals. Defrost each batch and heat in the microwave or on the stove top.

Use leftover raw or cooked chicken scraps in place of some of the wings if you have them - but make sure to include at least 1kg of fresh wings for maximum flavour.

Recipe and photo by Greer Worsley.