Marsala Gravy

Marsala sits somewhere between sherry and Madeira, with an almond and raisin thing going on. It is the backbone of chicken marsala for a reason. This version turns it into a proper pouring gravy rather than a pan sauce, so it will happily go over a whole tray bake.

Ingredients

Makes about 450ml, enough for four plates

• 25g (1oz) butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1½ tbsp (22g) plain flour
• 150ml (5fl oz) dry Marsala look for secco on the label, not dolce
• 500ml (18fl oz) hot chicken stock
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• salt and black pepper

Kit

• Heavy frying pan
• Whisk

Method

1. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy frying pan and cook the onion over a medium heat for six minutes until soft and golden at the edges. Add the garlic and thyme for the last minute so the garlic does not burn.

2. Stir in the flour and cook for two minutes, letting it take on a little colour. A slightly browner roux suits Marsala's nutty character.

3. Pour in the Marsala and whisk hard. It will seize up around the flour for a moment, then loosen. Let it bubble for five minutes until reduced by roughly half and the sharp alcohol smell has gone.

4. Add the hot chicken stock in stages, whisking each addition smooth before the next.

5. Simmer gently for eight to ten minutes, stirring now and then, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon and has gone a deep golden brown.

6. Pull out the thyme sprigs, add the lemon juice and season generously. Marsala carries a fair bit of residual sugar, so it needs more salt and acid than you might expect to stay savoury.

7. Serve straight from the pan over chicken thighs, pork chops or veal escalopes.

Tips worth knowing

• Buy Marsala secco, the dry one. Marsala dolce is a dessert wine and makes a gravy that tastes like a trifle.
• 150ml is the right amount for four. Marsala is around 18 per cent alcohol, so more will read as boozy rather than nutty however long you reduce it.
• For a non-alcoholic version, reduce 200ml of white grape juice with 1 tbsp of sherry vinegar and a small handful of raisins down to 80ml, then strain. The raisins give the dried fruit note that makes it read as Marsala.
• If you fry chicken in the pan first, do not wash it out. Those brown bits in the base double the flavour of this gravy for no extra work.

Keeping and reheating

Three days in the fridge, three months in the freezer. It thickens as it sits, so loosen with stock when reheating and check the lemon juice again before serving.

Questions people ask