The Gravy Formula: One Base, Ten Variations
Stop memorising ten separate gravy recipes. Once you understand the base ratio, every variation — onion, mushroom, peppercorn, red wine — is just a simple addition.
One Technique, Unlimited Variations
Most gravy recipes treat each type as a separate dish you have to learn. Onion gravy is one recipe, mushroom is another, red wine is a third. That's backwards.
Every good gravy is the same base with one or two additions. Learn the base, and you can make any variation from memory — including some the cookbooks don't bother listing.
The Base Formula
For gravy that serves 4 people generously:
- 30g fat — butter, pan drippings, or a mix
- 30g plain flour
- 500ml hot stock — beef, chicken, or vegetable to match the dish
- Salt and pepper to taste
That's it. Equal weight fat and flour, ten times that weight in stock. Memorise the ratio 1:1:10 and you never need a gravy recipe again.
The Method
Step 1 — Make the roux Melt the fat in the pan you roasted or fried in — those browned bits are the flavour foundation. Add the flour and whisk. Cook for 1-2 minutes until it smells slightly nutty. This step is what separates good gravy from floury sludge.
Step 2 — Add the stock gradually Pour in about a third of the hot stock while whisking hard. It will seize up into a thick paste. Keep whisking until smooth, then add another third, whisk smooth, then the rest. Adding it all at once guarantees lumps.
Step 3 — Simmer to finish Reduce heat, simmer for 3-5 minutes. The gravy thickens as it cooks. If it's too thick, thin with more stock or a splash of water. Too thin? Simmer longer.
Step 4 — Season Taste. Salt, pepper, and a dash of Worcestershire or soy sauce for depth. Don't over-season early — reduction concentrates flavour, and what tastes right at the start will be too salty by the end.
The Ten Variations
All use the base formula above — just add the variation ingredients at the step indicated.
1. Onion gravy Slice 2 large onions thinly. Before making the roux, cook them slowly in the fat for 15-20 minutes until deeply caramelised. Then add the flour and continue as normal. Classic with sausages and mash.
2. Mushroom gravy Slice 250g mushrooms — chestnut, field, or a mix. Before the roux, sauté them hard in the fat until golden and reduced. A splash of sherry at the end of cooking the mushrooms lifts the whole thing. Good with steak, lamb, or as a vegetarian gravy with vegetable stock.
3. Peppercorn gravy Crush 2 tablespoons of black or mixed peppercorns roughly. Add to the fat with a splash of brandy and let it cook off before starting the roux. Finish with 50ml cream at the end. The steakhouse classic.
4. Red wine gravy Replace 150ml of the stock with 150ml red wine. Add the wine after the roux and let it reduce by half before adding the remaining stock. Works beautifully with beef, lamb, and game.
5. Port and cranberry gravy Add 100ml port and 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce after the roux. Reduce briefly before adding stock. The Christmas turkey gravy by default.
6. Sage and onion gravy Caramelise 1 onion as in variation 1. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh sage with the flour. Pork roast's natural partner.
7. Madeira gravy Add 100ml Madeira wine after the roux, reduce, then add stock. Classic with chicken and veal.
8. Bacon and thyme gravy Dice 100g streaky bacon, render the fat, remove the bacon. Use the bacon fat as part of the 30g fat. Add 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves with the flour. Return the crispy bacon at the end. Excellent with pork or chicken.
9. Creamy mustard gravy Make the base, then finish with 50ml cream and 2 tablespoons Dijon or wholegrain mustard. Pork and sausages.
10. Miso gravy (the sleeper hit) Make the base with chicken stock. Whisk in 1 tablespoon white miso paste at the end, off the heat. Deeper and more complex than any classic gravy. Works with anything from roast chicken to mashed potatoes alone.
Common Gravy Fixes
It's lumpy — pass it through a fine sieve. Nobody will know.
It's too thin — mix 1 teaspoon cornflour with cold water, whisk in, simmer 1 minute. Or just simmer longer.
It's too thick — add more hot stock or water, a splash at a time.
It tastes flat — add a splash of Worcestershire, soy sauce, or a teaspoon of miso. All three add umami without specific flavour.
It's too salty — add a splash of cream or a peeled raw potato for 5 minutes then remove. Or dilute with unsalted stock.
The colour is pale — a teaspoon of dark soy sauce or a tablespoon of balsamic does wonders.
Scaling the Base
For different group sizes, the 1:1:10 ratio scales perfectly:
| Serves | Fat | Flour | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 15g | 15g | 250ml |
| 4 | 30g | 30g | 500ml |
| 6 | 45g | 45g | 750ml |
| 8 | 60g | 60g | 1 litre |
| 12 | 90g | 90g | 1.5 litres |
KitchenConvert handles this scaling automatically — save the base recipe, enter the number of people, and every measurement adjusts. Save each variation as a separate recipe and you build a gravy library that scales for any dinner.
The Short Version
- Fat and flour at equal weight, stock at 10× that weight
- Cook the roux for 2 minutes before adding stock
- Add stock in thirds, whisking between each
- The variation is just one or two additions to the base
- Try KitchenConvert free →
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