Get-Ahead Gravy

Ingredients

• 3 yellow onions
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks of celery
• 3 garlic cloves, peels on
• 8 chicken drumsticks
• 3 strips bacon
• 2 sprigs sage
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt & pepper
• Olive oil
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 litres boiling water

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 350ºF and set out a roasting pan or dutch oven.
2. Peel the onions and wash the carrots and celery, give them all a rough chop and add to the pan along with the garlic cloves. Add in the chicken drumsticks, bacon, sage, and rosemary, season with a pinch of nutmeg as well as some salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Toss well to evenly coat.
3. Transfer the pan to the oven to roast for 1 hour or until tender and golden brown.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and place over medium-low heat. Using a potato masher, grind and mash up the veg and chicken and cook for 5 to 10 minutes to caramelize. The longer you caramelize the mixture, the darker and richer your gravy will be.
5. Scatter over the flour, stir well to combine, and cook for another minute to toast the flour. Pour in the boiling water, scraping the bottom of the pan well to remove any stuck-on bits, and simmer for 30 minutes to thicken and reduce.
6. When the gravy is the consistency you’re looking for, carefully strain it through a sieve into a large bowl, pressing the veg and chicken to get as much of the gravy as possible.
7. Season to taste and transfer to containers. Cool to room temperature then store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
8. The gravy is delicious as is but, for extra flavour, add the drippings from the turkey to the gravy when you’re reheating it for the big feast.

Note: If desired, use the cooked chicken and veg as a base to a super simple chicken pot pie or chicken soup.