The Perfect Gravy
Every Sutton Hoo Chicken comes with Giblets
Usually inside the cavity (depending on your butcher), you’ll find the Heart, Neck and Liver in little bag. We promise these are the key to a fantastic gravy!
This recipe teaches you how to transform your giblets into a deeply flavourful gravy. By browning the heart and neck, and incorporating the liver into the sauce, you’ll create a rich, layered gravy that adds depth to your meal - all while embracing a zero-waste approach.
Ingredients:
All The Giblets: Liver (finely diced), Neck & Heart
300ml chicken stock (homemade or high quality)
1 celery stick, halved
2 cloves garlic
1/2 Onion, thinly sliced (the other half should be roasted inside the cavity of the roast chicken)
100ml hot water
1½ tbsp plain flour
Splash of red wine
Fresh Rosemary & Thyme sprigs
Top Tip: If you have a fat separator jug, use it here to separate the fat from the other juices, using the fat first to make a roux and adding the juices later.
Method:
15 minutes before the chicken is done, add your sliced onion, garlic, celery, heart and neck directly into the roasting tray and toss the ingredients in all the delicious juices and put back in the oven for the remaining cooking time.
Once the neck & onions are golden brown, remove the chicken carefully onto a board or platter - use something that will catch the juices. Move the roasting tray onto the hob, ready to make your gravy. Remember to rest your chicken for half of its cooking time!
Add a small splash of chicken stock to deglaze the pan — whisk as you go to lift all the delicious, caramelised bits from the bottom
When most of the liquid has evaporated, remove the giblets and celery, set the heart & neck aside ready to add to your stock pot.
If you’re following the Top Tip, pour the fat back into the pan first (save any excess for your next roast potatoes). Then add the flour and whisk into a thick, sticky roux.
Slowly start adding your stock, whisking constantly until smooth and absorbed before adding the next splash - don’t rush this part. If you’re using the Top Tip, add the strained juices here to bring all that flavour back in.
Add your diced liver and toss in the thyme and rosemary sprigs, whisking them in
The gravy should be fairly thick at this point — slowly add your hot water, again in small amounts, whisking between each addition until you reach the perfect silky consistency
Add the red wine and then let it simmer gently for a few minutes, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add more water or stock if it is too thick.
When your chicken has nearly finished resting, pour in all the juices from the board back into the pan - they’re liquid gold. Whisk them through to finish the sauce
If you’d like a smooth gravy, strain it before serving, or leave it rustic for extra depth but remove the thyme and rosemary stalks
Keep warm or reheat gently before serving in a gravy jug