Two Questions on Cheese Sauce and Gravy

oliver2008

Hi all, looking for some advice. Firstly can you freeze home made cheese sauce? The recipe was for 1 pint and I only used half of it so have frozen the rest. Is this ok.

Secondly, I have never made home made gravy and would love an easy recipe for this. Its roast chicken at the weekend if thats any help.

TIA
Sarah

trying-very-trying

I've frozen hm cheese sauce before. It might try to separate a bit, though, on reheating, but just give it a good thrashing. Sorry, got carried away there, I meant a good beating.

As for the gravy, I've recently started using cornflour. So I use 2tbs cornflour mixed with 3tbs water to thicken 300 mls stock. hth

phizzimum

DH has always mocked my gravy so recently I've been trying to up my game too!

I find that a glug of wine makes a big difference! (I mean to the gravy and not into my mouth in case you wondered) a friend gave me a big jar of homemade crab apple jelly and I always put a spoon ful of that in too - so if you're having redcurrant jelly or anything similar with the chicken you could try that.

fuzzyfelt_2

When you've finished roasting your chicken, drain of the fat and juices from the roasting pan. Then add a nice glug of wine (or some stock will do) to release all the nice gooey bits in the bottom of the pan. Then add the juices (skimming of as much of the fat as you can before you do this) back to the pan. Bubble this up to reduce a little and then add more stock if needed ( I often add the water from my cooked veggies). Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. I add a spoonful of cornflour mixed with a little of water to thicken the gravy - you'll need to simmer it for a while longer. And don't forget to add any juices that may have come out of the chicken on the plate, whilst it's been resting. If you like a darker gravy, I find a little splash of balsamic vinegar works wonders. Hope this helps.......mmmm, I could just eat some roast chicken now!

phizzimum - I've never tried CB Jelly in gravy - sounds lovely! I'll have to give it a go.

phizzimum

fuzzyfelt wrote: »

phizzimum - I've never tried CB Jelly in gravy - sounds lovely! I'll have to give it a go.

well my friend did give me a HUGE jar so I was looking for ways to use it. and as I've said my gravy needed all the help it could get!

pennyocs

fuzzyfelt wrote: »

When you've finished roasting your chicken, drain of the fat and juices from the roasting pan. Then add a nice glug of wine (or some stock will do) to release all the nice gooey bits in the bottom of the pan. Then add the juices (skimming of as much of the fat as you can before you do this) back to the pan. Bubble this up to reduce a little and then add more stock if needed ( I often add the water from my cooked veggies). Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. I add a spoonful of cornflour mixed with a little of water to thicken the gravy - you'll need to simmer it for a while longer. And don't forget to add any juices that may have come out of the chicken on the plate, whilst it's been resting. If you like a darker gravy, I find a little splash of balsamic vinegar works wonders. Hope this helps.......mmmm, I could just eat some roast chicken now!

phizzimum - I've never tried CB Jelly in gravy - sounds lovely! I'll have to give it a go.

i always pour juices into a jug and put in fridge to cool then all the fat sits at the top and the juices set into a jelly so you can just pour the fat off.

oliver2008

pennyocs wrote: »

i always pour juices into a jug and put in fridge to cool then all the fat sits at the top and the juices set into a jelly so you can just pour the fat off.

I can remember my gran doing that but couldnt remember which bit to use (my mum cooked from scratch but NEVER let us get involved - said we just got in the way hence the fact I dont know how to make gravy.) I will try this on Sunday and let you all know how it goes, hopefully it will be goodbye to packet gravy:o