Red wine onion gravy is a darker, richer style of real gravy made with slowly cooked onions, red wine, and beef stock. It is perfect with bangers and mash, steak, sausages, pies, and any roast where you want intense, sticky gravy clinging to everything.
For a pan of red wine onion gravy you will need: 1 large red onion thinly sliced, 2 tablespoons butter or a mix of butter and fat from the pan, 2 tablespoons plain flour, 150–250 ml dry red wine, 500 ml good beef stock, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1–2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly, Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Method: Gently cook the sliced onion in butter or fat over medium heat until soft, sweet, and deeply golden, taking your time to caramelise. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or two until it forms a paste around the onions. Pour in the red wine and simmer until reduced by about half, scraping the bottom of the pan. Gradually whisk in the hot beef stock, then add Worcestershire sauce and redcurrant jelly. Simmer until the gravy is glossy and thick enough to coat the onions and the back of a spoon, then season to taste.
Serving: Spoon generously over buttery mashed potatoes and good quality sausages. Use as a rich gravy for steak, steak pies, and roast beef. Stir leftover gravy into casseroles for extra depth and body.
Variations: Swap red wine for white wine and use chicken stock for a lighter onion gravy to pair with chicken or pork. For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock and butter or oil, building the same depth from caramelised onions and wine.