Vegetarian Christmas Gravy

Christmas gravy needs to be richer and sweeter than a normal Sunday one, and it needs to be made in advance so the hob is free on the day. The savouriness here comes from parsnips and onions roasted until the sugars catch, tomato puree cooked out and a spoon of yeast extract. Butter finishes it, so this is vegetarian rather than vegan.

Ingredients

Makes about 1.2 litres, enough for ten plates with seconds

• 3 onions, quartered
• 3 parsnips, cut into chunks
• 2 carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 bulb garlic, halved across the middle
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp tomato puree
• 150ml (5fl oz) port
• 1.5 litres (2 1/2 pints) hot vegetable stock
• 60g (2oz) butter
• 4 tbsp (60g) plain flour
• 2 tsp yeast extract
• 2 tbsp cranberry sauce
• 4 sprigs thyme and 2 bay leaves

Kit

• Large roasting tin
• Large saucepan
• Sieve
• Whisk

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220C, 200C fan, gas 7. Toss the onions, parsnips, carrots and garlic with the olive oil in a large tin and roast for 45 minutes, turning twice, until deeply browned with dark caramelised edges. Parsnips are sugary and will colour fastest, which is exactly what you want.

2. Stir the tomato puree through the hot vegetables and roast for another six minutes so it darkens and loses its raw edge.

3. Put the tin over a low hob ring, pour in the port and scrape the base hard with a wooden spoon while it bubbles for two minutes. Everything stuck to that tin is flavour.

4. Tip the lot into a large saucepan with the stock, thyme and bay. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, so it reduces a little and the vegetables give up everything they have.

5. Strain through a sieve into a large jug, pressing the vegetables firmly with a ladle, then discard the solids. You should have around a litre and a bit of dark stock.

6. Melt the butter in the empty pan, whisk in the flour and cook the roux over a medium heat for three minutes until it is the colour of a digestive biscuit and smells nutty.

7. Add the strained stock a ladleful at a time, whisking well between each, then simmer for eight minutes until it thickens. Stir in the yeast extract and cranberry sauce, taste and season generously.

8. Cool it quickly by standing the pan in cold water, then chill. On the day, reheat gently and stir in any juices from the roasting tins for a final lift.

Tips worth knowing

• Make this two days before Christmas. It genuinely improves in the fridge and it takes one job off the worst morning of the year.
• For an alcohol free version, use 150ml of red grape juice with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar in place of the port.
• If you are also roasting a nut roast or a wellington, tip a ladle of hot gravy into that tin at the end and scrape it back into the pan.
• Keep a jug of extra hot stock beside you when reheating. Gravy always thickens more overnight than you expect.

Keeping and reheating

Three days in the fridge or three months in the freezer. Freeze in two batches so you can thaw only what you need. Reheat over a low heat, whisking, with extra stock to loosen.

Questions people ask