The secret to creating the ultimate gravy sauce

Nothing compares to a tender roast smothered in flavoursome gravy and it’s fare to say store-bought gravy just doesn’t cut it. 

Starts at 60 chatted with Melbourne-based chef Charles Sedgley, owner of Lona Tapas Bar and Restaurant, to find how to create the ultimate red wine gravy sauce — and it’s immensely better than anything you’ll get from the supermarket. 

He says the secret to creating the ultimate gravy sauce is creating your own stock.

 “First off, you want to gather your ingredients,” Charles advises. For the veal stock you need one kilogram (2.2 pounds) veal bones, one carrot, one brown onion, one celery stalk, three bay leaves and half a leek. “I think the important thing to note here, is this [gravy] is perfect for steak with veal bones, however you can just add the different bones to the different meat you are cooking. i.e chicken bones for chicken, pork bones for pork … ” Charles explains. 

To make the stock start by roughly chopping the vegetables, then place all the ingredients in the pot, he advises. Fill the pot with water until it’s three quarters full, bring to boil and let simmer until reduced halfway. 

“Now, you’ll want to start on your red wine reduction while your stock is simmering,” Charles explains. The ingredients include one brown onion, two sprigs of rosemary, three sprigs of thyme, two bay leaves, 60 millilitres (2.1 ounces) port wine, 400 millilitres (14 ounces) red wine and 50 grams (0.1 pounds) red current jelly. 

Place all ingredients in a pan, except for the red currant jelly, and reduce it over a period of a few hours until it looks “glossy”, then add in jelly thoroughly, he advises. 

The longer you simmer it, “the better” the flavour, Charles reckons, explaining that, “The most important part here is the red wine reduction. To achieve the most flavoursome jus, the more time you let it simmer, the better.”

So how long should you cook it for? Charles advises to simmer the red wine reduction for around five hours, while keeping an eye on it and judging the heat and consistency. “For the quantities I have given, I personally leave my [gravy] to simmer for around 5 hours,” he explains. 

Depending on many people you’re catering for, “[the] more wine you use, the longer it takes to reduce and bring out those flavours.”

To combine the stock and red wine reduction, Charles advises to pour the wine reduction into the veal stock through a sieve and, “reduce until the right consistency and thickness.”

He says there’s a big misconception when it comes to thickness — many people think gravy needs to be really thick, but Charles reckons, “the perfect consistency is when you dip a tablespoon into the jus and the sauce glides off the back.”

To finish the gravy simply strain through an oil filter and serve, or store in the fridge for up to a few days. “It’s important to note, your [gravy] will thicken to a jelly-like consistency during refrigeration.”

What do you think? Will you be trying this anytime soon? How do you make gravy?