A good recipe for gravy?: I don't miss... - Gluten Free Guerr...

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A good recipe for gravy?

poing profile image
28 Replies

I don't miss bread, but I do like gravies and sauces.

I can't eat gluten or bakers' yeast. Thats makes gravies a bit of a challenge.

I make my own chicken stock, but I can't seem to convert it to gravy very well. It comes out runny, and using the standard thickeners like cornflour makes it white which is not a good colour for a gravy. Also, I'd quite like to find some recipes that don't rely on white flour.

Does anyone have any recipes that work for them that they can share?

Thanks!

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poing profile image
poing
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28 Replies
pretender profile image
pretender

Recipies..No but a gravy.

Aunt Bessies homestyle gravy.

Ingredients: Beef stock(water, roast beef rib bone, onion, tomato puree, carrots, leeks, garlic puree, parsley, bayleaf, thyme, rosemary, water, onions, cornflour, beef fat, muscavado sugar, salt, colour: plain caramel, garlic, bayleaf, thyme, white pepper, star anise.

A wet Sunday roast at last.

awtonline.co.uk/Antony_Worr...

awtonline.co.uk/Antony_Worr...

Only tried the beef flavour one as yet and been ok on it...

Janie

poing profile image
poing in reply to

I can't have yeast extract, which is why I'm having a tough time finding a ready made product. The Aunt Bessie's one looks possible though.

Liana profile image
Liana

Gravy from scratch: Use a gf flour blend as your base. It could even be potato flour and/or potato starch. Use xanthan gum as a binder if mixing several flours. Mix EQUAL parts fat (drippings from the chicken or roast, olive oil or butter or any combination there of) and the GFflour (3 Tbsp fat to 3 Tbsp flour works well with about 2 cups or less of liquid). Using a whisk, combine the fat and flour until well blended over medium/low heat. If lumps form, take it off the flame and whisk briskly, then return to the heat when the sauce is smooth... gradually add the warm water or stock stirring constantly. Bring to the boil for one minute. When it is the thickness you prefer stop adding liquid. Flavour to taste with salt and pepper. Add a browning agent for colour (Kitchen Bourquet is GF), ketchup or tomato sauce for acidity, worchesstershire sauce for a kick... a beef or chicken cube to enhance the flavour. Red or white wine makes a nice change too ... usually a Tbsp or two is enough. Best wishes for success!

Liana profile image
Liana in reply toLiana

Note: make sure your worchestershire style sauce is GF ,,,the brand name is not.

Liana profile image
Liana

White sauce or Bechamel : It's already on my web site.

foodchallenges.ca/basic-whi...

barny profile image
barny

i use cornflour veg stock cube gravy browning meat juices mix cornflour to a paste with cold water then add hot water mix transfer to heat stir till thick its yum good look gf stock cubes of course

Henbur profile image
Henbur

If you like th taste of your chicken gravy then you could just add gravy browning I think cross and blackwell do one. In any case it is available gluten free and I don't see why it would contain yeast extract but you'd need to check that.

Gfmom profile image
Gfmom

I use the juices from the meat, add a little white wine and reduce it down, then add half a pint gf stock and a large knob of butter and reduce it down well until it thickens slightly. Or without meat juices slowly fry some onions, add some white wine vinegar and reduce down to nothing, then add stock and reduce down again with knob of butter. They might be a bit runnier than normal gravy but very tasty! Jamie Oliver makes the gravy like this for his bangers and mash recipe in his Great Britain book, I think.

puncturedbicycle profile image
puncturedbicycle in reply toGfmom

This sound delicious!

Kestria profile image
Kestria

Comptons Gravy Salts works a charm and it's really easy. You can get it from most big supermarkets, although it can be tricky to spot.

You mix it with a small amount of GF flour and water, then add it to meat juices. It thickens really well and gives a great taste.

I also use it without the meat juices and add it as a thickener to bolognase and stews.

meanioni profile image
meanioni

Cornflour is the normal thickener. When you make your stock, boil up chicken bones with carrots and onions and some herbs. Ensure you use red onions and leave the skins on (remove any damaged/mouldy skin). This will impart colour to the stock (works with ordinary onions too, but comes out more golden).

I usually pop a teaspoon of Bovril in. Think it might contain yeast - have not checked.

Most Worcestershire Sauces are not gluten-free.

Failing that if using red meat, ensure the meat + scrapings from the pan go in there for flavour and colour and if you get really desperate, caramelise a small amount of sugar/margarine in a sauce pan and add that. As well as sweetening, it will add colour.

puncturedbicycle profile image
puncturedbicycle

This may sound odd - it is more of a pureed sauce rather than a trad gravy but it is delicious and easy.

Try adding one or two prunes or natural (brown) dried apricots to a roasting tray or pot (if you're pot roasting) full of veg (esp leeks, shallots, onions, carrots, celery) plus a lot of fresh bay leaves and a few handfuls of thyme, maybe a few glasses of wine or stock. You can sit your meat on top. When the meat has been roasted, remove, pour off the juices, scrape any browned/burned bits in, remove herbs, throw a variety of the roasted veg in (you will have to eyeball this depending on what proportions suit you) and make sure you have the fruit in with the juices. Using a stick blender (or you could use a food processor or a normal blender), puree it all together. The prunes/apricots add fibre which thickens it all, and the pureed veg thicken as well as adding flavour. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In my experience you don't taste the fruit at all, it just adds a thickening agent and a bit of depth of flavour.

poing profile image
poing in reply topuncturedbicycle

I like the sound of this, will definitely give it a go. Thank you!

puncturedbicycle profile image
puncturedbicycle in reply topoing

The stick blender is one thing I would struggle to live without!

poing profile image
poing

Thank you to everyone that has replied so far. Lots of good ideas there for me to try.

robgt profile image
robgt

Not sure if Bisto Best would be suitable for you, but it works for me!

Not standard Bisto, but Bisto Best.

Cheers,

Rob

Henbur profile image
Henbur in reply torobgt

I get symptoms from this, well I did in 2011. They didn't make a big thing about it being gluten free, the ingredients look ok, I emailed them about my symptoms and they replied to tell me that the line they use for bistro best also handles wheatprods Obviously will be ok for some tho!

meanioni profile image
meanioni in reply toHenbur

I would say that is a no-no then as you are relying on them to clean the machinery properly and even with the best will in the world, this may not be feasible and cross-contamination is highly likely

Sapphire1 profile image
Sapphire1 in reply torobgt

Bisto Best is not yeast free, although yeast is not listed in the ingredients - I emailed them to find out. Naughty!

meanioni profile image
meanioni

Try also Anthony Worell-Thomson's gravy powders (Sainsbury's do them) - they are gluten and dairy free.

Henbur profile image
Henbur in reply tomeanioni

They have yeast extract in, op wanted to avoid bakers yeast I'm not sure why the distinction and if she is avoiding all yeast derivatives or just the bakers variety though?!

Henbur profile image
Henbur in reply toHenbur

Ps those gravies are also quite vile IMHO - sorry meanioni

Jacks profile image
Jacks

For gravy from scratch I think this is good. We've made it loads of times and frozen it into meal-sized portions. We miss out the bacon and anise. You can get the chicken wings in a huge box from any supermarket (or from your butcher).

channel4.com/4food/recipes/...

Don't just serve it with poultry, it goes okay with any meat (and can be used as a concentrate with other meat juices). Makes you wonder why the shelf stuff contains so much rubbish.

nickyr73 profile image
nickyr73

I agree Crosse and Blackwell gravy browning is best. Mix gf flour with oil or meat juices from roasting tin, add water or stock and drops of gravy browning to whatever colour you like best.

RusticRita profile image
RusticRita

HI Poing, I make a basic roux with rice flour/GF plain flour and either butter or oil (tastes better if it's oil that you've cooked meat in!) Heat knob of butter/2 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add about 2 tbsp. flour and mix well over heat, should turn dough-like. Slowly add splashes of 3/4 pint of stock while beating, get it nice and elastically then keep adding a bit more until it's desired consistency. Tastes even better with a bit of white or red wine in there for good measure - not sure there's any yeast in that, hope not! ;)

JoolsEnzo profile image
JoolsEnzo

I will have to give some of these recipes a try. I really miss 'proper' gravy. I find using gf flour or cornflour makes it too thick. One slice or two? :)

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