Untitled Number 17.

  As I'm in  bed feeling shit I'll keep this appropriately brief with a quick suggestion for the stock I know you're about to start taking with great gusto. This is a handy guide for a failsafe instant gravy which you'll hopefully remember when you're making a roast, surrounded by many dishes.

  Many dishes that is, except gravy. Almost forgetting the gravy happens to the best of us and fortunately there's a quick fix. Grab a saucepan and tip half to a full bottle of wine in there, depending how many of you there are or how many leftovers you factored in. Bring it up to a boil and reduce it over a medium flame to about half.

Unrelated picture of me on a Ducati

  Put in an equal volume of stock, (liquid or frozen. It will defrost quickly),  and reduce it some more. You'll now have a tasty base for a gravy but there are a couple more steps. You might want to flavour it a bit and the choice of flavours you add will depend on what you're serving it with.

  If it's chicken I'd start with a white wine and probably put in a dollop of mustard and a nice spoon of mustard. If you're going lamb, beef or even duck I'd start with a red and add a load of jam. Use something tart like cherry; strawberry is too sweet and flavourless. This will add a heap of flavour, balance the acidity of the wine and get you ready for the final stage.

  There's a good chance you'll want your gravy a bit thicker so you now need to reach for the cornflour. Experience might give you an idea of quantity but as a rule of thumb, add it slowly so you don't overthicken it. Pay attention to this bit, there's only one way to add cornflour. Mix a bit, (start with a teaspoon) with cold water and make a loose slurry. Pour this into the gravy slowly while stirring. It thickens very quickly so you'll know if you need more (or if you added too much.)

  That's it. It's quick, very tasty and will get you out of a bind. I will admit that this gravy guide is controversial but it works. Adios.

Kirk out

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