Making gravy when you haven't had a roast. How?

soy sauce is a good substitute for oxo etc, I haven't used a stock cube in decades

make sure you check the label first though, some brands have MSG & other additives in them

Slightly off-topic but I do miss Bisto Chicken gravy powder. All you can get now is their original gravy powder, which is too dark for my liking. Nowadays I use half/half bisto and cornflour so my chicken gravy is well, chicken coloured! I do use HM stock so at least I don't have evil Oxo to contend with. Gravy granules are OK for an emergency but they make every meal taste the same.

If I can track down a contact address for Bisto I'll email them and ask about bringing back the chicken powder. It can't do any harm and they might even send me some vouchers

The best gravy I ever ate was the time I roasted a chicken and a small ham in the same pan so the meat juices mingled. You wouldn't believe how yummy it was, I could happily have eaten a plate full of just mash and gravy

Hello, I'm not going to be of much help but I think you need the juices from a roast, mainly so these taste and enough juice to start with.

We don't very oftern have a roast, infact I think the last one was Turkey last December
So I always us Bisto, which I know isn't OS but if you don't have the roast in the first place

We love bangers and mash with gravy - Hungry now.

I'm not a good cook, but I managed to make a really nice gravy the other day:

I took 2 cloves of crushed garlic and gently softened them in some oil,
added the juices from a roast, one stock cube crumbled up, and some hot water (I think a dash of worcester sauce too),which was then thickened with a paste made from cornflour and water (made like the the bisto paste mentioned in the preceeding post).

I know without roast juices it would not be quite so tasty, but still ok I should think, perhaps made better by adding an extra stockcube?

Basic Gravy
Whatever juices are in the roasting pan
1pt stock(ideally water from the vegetables)/wine/water and stock cube
1tbsp Plain Flour and slightly more of fat (hopefully there should be enough in the tin otherwise add some oil/dripping etc.

Put the roasting pan over the heat until it's sizzling, add the flour and stir briskly into the fat and juices. You'll need to be pretty asssertive in your stirring as well as this stops lumps. You should end up with something like a thick paste and it should be sizzling too (this is a roux).
Start stiring in the stock a little at a time. It should amalgamate with the roux and loosen up. Keep stiring and adding, the mixture should be bubbling all the time, it can't be done cold or cool. Each time you mix in some stock ensure it's all mixed in.

That's gravy.:D

If it's too thick add a little more stock, if it's too thin simmer it until it reduces and thickens up.

Cheat - use cornflour and do the same thing, it shouldn't form lumps at all. just keep mixing!

if you want it particularly flavoursome add a halved onion to the roast while you cook it. It also makes it darker