With less than two weeks until we’re tucking into turkeys, sprouts and stuffing, Ocado has unveiled the secrets to perfecting one of the most important Christmas dinner components - the gravy. Ocado has teamed up with University College London’s Professor Mark Miodownik, who has analysed the science behind the perfect gravy so you can really push the (gravy) boat out this Christmas.
Based on survey findings of 2,000 Christmas cooks, the perfect jug of gravy should be:
- 115ml in volume - enough to coat the centrepiece and all the trimmings
- Stirred for 2.5 minutes resulting in a velvety smooth, lump-free consistency
- Depth of flavour on a scale of 1-5 should be the highest at 5, which means including all the juices from your roast plus additional seasoning
- Served at a temperature of 69°C
Professor Midownik said: “Playing a guessing game in the kitchen can be risky business, so being able to pin the perfect gravy on concrete factors is a handy tool. In combining all the essential factors above, we’ve been able to crack this Christmas code once and for all.”
This technique for the perfect gravy was developed as it was revealed to be the number one food Brits messed up at Christmas (31%), forcing them to start all over again. Amongst a nation of gravy-lovers, nearly a quarter of us (22%) admitted to making it too lumpy, whilst one fifth (20%) said it always ended up too watery.
Christmas dinners were even shown to cause arguments in 14% of households, with gravy being the main culprit, alongside turkey.
Research also highlighted that the average Yuletide-celebrating adult will prepare for Christmas dinner seven whole days in advance, with an average of 5.6 hours spent getting everything prepared and served on the day. This stress of Christmas dinner cooking means that two thirds (36%) of Brits prefer to be left alone in the kitchen while whipping up the feast, and nearly half (47%) admitted to feeling relieved once it was all over.
Laura Rowe, gravy guru and food expert at Ocado Retail said: “We know that being responsible for the Christmas dinner can come with high expectations from family and friends, so to make it a little easier to get even the trickiest of elements right - the gravy - we’re sharing our favourite flavour-enhancing ingredients. We’ve even teamed up with a scientist to crack the code for the perfect jug of gravy every time.”
Alongside the science, Ocado’s gravy guru and food expert, Laura Rowe has revealed her favourite ingredients for a festive gravy glow-up:
MARMITE - Love it or loathe it, a dash of Marmite works wonders for beef and vegan gravies. Rest assured, the divisive flavour of this paste won’t be overpowering, but instead adds a punch of bold, umami flavour, and inviting depth of colour. It’s also perfect for glazing vegan pastry centrepieces!
BLACK GARLIC - A match made in heaven for lamb or beef, black garlic is created when bulbs of regular garlic are aged until the cloves develop a sticky texture and molasses-like flavour, without the heat of raw garlic. Simmer your gravy while infusing the flavour of finely chopped whole cloves, or for added convenience, drop in a couple of teaspoons of pre-prepared black garlic paste.
GOCHUJANG - This is one for the fire-seekers out there. Gochujang is a Korean fermented red chilli pepper paste with a kick that’ll add sweet, savoury and spicy layers to your gravy. If you’re looking for a wildcard that’s perfect with a pork roast and that’ll keep your guests guessing, give gochujang a try.
RASPBERRY JAM - Jam? In gravy? Perhaps not as unusual as it first seems when you think about the classic sweet/savoury pairings of turkey and cranberry sauce, or lamb and redcurrant jelly. Jam melts quickly, contributing a sweet smoothness, which is perfect for turkey, or even goose – just make sure you opt for seedless.
SHERRY - A dry sherry, such as a fino, is a great way to add depth to a white meat gravy, just as if you were adding a glass of white wine. If you’re after something richer and more festive though, particularly for turkey, something aromatic with notes of dried fruit like an Oloroso or even Pedro Ximenez would work well.
MUSTARD - A simple staple that’ll zhuzh up most sauces and dressings, dijon mustard is also a winning addition to turkey gravy. Its mellow heat and rounded tanginess is ideal for brightening up rich sauces, adding a flavourful backbone to your turkey feast.
SOY SAUCE - This ingredient’s umami, salty notes serve to enhance and darken your gravy, whilst bringing out those meaty flavours – the ideal secret seasoning to your sauce.
