Tinned Consomme Gravy

Tinned consomme is a slightly old fashioned thing to have in the cupboard and it is enormously underrated for gravy. Unlike a stock cube it contains real gelatine, which is what gives a homemade gravy that clinging, lip sticking quality no amount of flour can fake. Open a tin, thicken it lightly and you get something genuinely close to a stock and bones gravy in about eight minutes.

Ingredients

Makes about 450ml, enough for four plates

• 1 tin (about 400ml) beef consomme condensed consomme needs diluting as the tin says
• 100ml (3½fl oz) water or red wine
• 25g (1oz) butter
• 1 tbsp (15g) plain flour deliberately light, the consomme brings its own body
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 1 tsp redcurrant jelly
• black pepper to taste

Kit

• Small saucepan
• Whisk
• Tin opener

Method

1. Open the tin and check whether it is ready to serve or condensed. Condensed consomme is roughly double strength and the tin will tell you, in which case dilute it as instructed or it will be far too salty once you have reduced it.

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the chopped shallot. Cook it gently for three minutes until soft and just starting to colour at the edges, without letting it brown hard, since consomme is a delicate, clean flavour and burnt shallot will bully it.

3. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Only one tablespoon goes in here, which is less than you would normally use for this volume, because the gelatine in the consomme will thicken it as well.

4. Pour in the water or wine and whisk to a smooth paste, scraping the base.

5. Add the consomme in two goes, whisking each time. Bring it to a simmer and cook for four minutes. Watch how it behaves, because a good consomme thickens noticeably on its own as it reduces and gets that glossy, coating quality.

6. Stir in the redcurrant jelly until it dissolves. Consomme is savoury and slightly one dimensional straight from the tin, and a teaspoon of something sweet and fruity rounds it out.

7. Taste before seasoning. Tinned consomme is well salted, so this is very unlikely to want any more, and black pepper is usually all it needs.

8. If it seems thin, give it another two minutes at a simmer rather than adding flour. Reducing a gelatine rich liquid thickens it and improves the flavour at the same time, which extra flour does not.

Tips worth knowing

• Chill a tin of consomme and you will see it set to a soft jelly. That is the gelatine, and it is the whole reason this makes better gravy than a stock cube.
• Use less flour than you would with stock. Consomme thickens itself as it reduces and an over floured version loses the silky texture that is the point of using it.
• Look at the tin for the word condensed. Using condensed consomme undiluted and then reducing it will produce something close to inedible.
• Chicken or game consomme works the same way and suits poultry, though beef is the one you will find most easily.

Keeping and reheating

Four days in the fridge, where it will set firmly because of the gelatine, and three months in the freezer. It reheats well and does not split. Warm it gently and it will loosen back to a pouring consistency on its own.

Questions people ask