Easy Home-made Gravy

Remove the meat from the pan, cover to keep warm, and turn heat on high. Deglaze the pan with one cup of wine (red or white, your preference) and one cup of stock (once again, your preference), scraping with a wooden spoon to get all the tasty stuff from the bottom. When you're satisfied that you've recovered all of the caramelization that you can, take a look at your gravy – is there a lot of fat in it? (this is often the case with chicken) If so, you may want to separate and remove some or all of the fat using your preferred method. In a measuring cup, mix three tablespoons of flour with three tablespoons of Harvey's Bristol Cream sherry (I use my finger to make sure I'm rid of the lumps).

While stirring your gravy, slowly pour in the flour mixture to incorporate. Your gravy will start to thicken. When thickened, turn the heat down and taste and season accordingly — a shot of Worcestershire, a few grinds of pepper, whatever takes your fancy. AND THE SECRET WEAPON – add a tablespoon of butter and stir until incorporated. It will add a richness and subtlety of flavour out of all proportion to it's size.