Paul Kelly’s How to Make Gravy has become an Australian Christmas classic. The song captures the poignant phone call made by a man in jail to his brother on 21 December, as he ruefully ponders what the rest of the family will be doing on Christmas Day without him. The song is widely beloved because it both powerfully evokes the longing and regret of an incarcerated man, the loving-yet-brittle relationships between family members, as well as conjuring the quintessentially Australian Christmas experience (“they say it’s gonna be a hundred degrees, even more maybe, but that won’t stop the roast”).
Its emotional and aesthetic punch aside, the song also features a handy little gravy recipe for anyone stuck in front of a stove at Christmas, trying to remember what to toss in the meat pan to make the gravy.
As the song’s protagonist Joe sings: “Just add flour, salt, a little red wine, and don’t forget a dollop of tomato sauce, for sweetness and that extra tang.”
To mark gravy day – as 21 December has come to be known on the internet in Australia – here are some other gravy recipes for your Christmas table.
Tell us what you think works and what doesn’t (do you add a dollop of tomato sauce?) in the comments below.
Nigel Slater’s mushroom gravy
Serves 6
chanterelles 100g, or other mushrooms
banana shallots 4
fat from the turkey roasting tin 6 tbsp
plain flour 2 lightly heaped tbsp
hot chicken or turkey stock 1 litre
Brush any soil from the mushrooms, but wash them only if it appears absolutely necessary. Peel and finely chop the shallots. Warm 4 tbsp of the turkey roasting juices over a moderate heat, stir in the chopped shallots and fry, stirring regularly for 10 minutes or so until the shallots are a soft, translucent gold. Sprinkle the flour over the shallots and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes then stir in the hot stock. Leave the sauce at a sprightly simmer for about 20 minutes until it has reduced to about 500ml. Season with salt and black pepper as you go.
In a separate pan, warm the remaining turkey fat then add the cleaned mushrooms, turning them over lightly in the hot roasting juices, taking care not to break their delicate caps. When the gravy is of a moderately thick consistency, check the seasoning, then add the fried mushrooms and serve with the turkey (see below).
Felicity Cloake’s perfect beef gravy
1 tbsp plain flour
600ml hot good quality beef stock, preferably homemade
Make the gravy in a flameproof roasting tin while the joint is resting elsewhere. Heat the tin over a medium flame and then pour most of the fat off it, leaving about a tablespoon, as well as the meat juices. Sprinkle over the flour and stir into the fat, scraping to loosen any bits on the bottom of the tin. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until slightly browned, being careful not to burn it.
Add a ladle of stock to the tin and stir to incorporate. Add the rest of the stock, then bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer, stirring regularly, until the gravy has reached your preferred thickness, then season to taste. If you want to add any other flavourings, do so now, then heat through to serve.
Rose Elliott’s vegetarian onion and red wine gravy
2 onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp plain flour
200ml vegetable stock
200ml red wine
2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
Salt, pepper and sugar
Fry the onions in the oil for 10 minutes until they are tender and lightly browned. Add the flour and stir over the heat for three to four minutes, until nut-brown in colour – the mixture will be very dry.
Stir in the stock and wine, then let it simmer over a moderate heat until the sauce has thickened. Add the tamari, then season with salt, pepper and, if you think it needs some sweetness, a touch of sugar.
You can serve this gravy just as it is, which is what my mother did, or, if you prefer smooth gravy, strain it through a sieve before serving. And if you want a thinner end-product, just add more stock until it’s the consistency you want.
