Hearty Brown Chicken Gravy
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Brown gravy with roasted chicken wings, mirepoix, and a rich blend of Marsala and bourbon. Slow-simmered to a deep, glossy thickness. Flavored with tomato paste and toasted rye flour for a nutty note. Finished by straining and degreasing, this sauce marries well with roasted meats. No dairy, nuts, or eggs. Uses a mix of chicken and veggie broth, lending complexity and a touch of acidity from Marsala and bourbon. Thickened without a roux in the pan, relying on toasted flour blended into stock. Deep aroma and layered flavors from roasting and alcohol evaporation. Flexible for freezing or immediate use.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
6 servings
#gravy
#chicken
#slow simmer
#French-inspired
#roasting
#Marsala
#bourbon
#toasted flour
Roasting wings with mirepoix amps flavor, caramelizes sugars, and browns meat turning the sauce base into a powerhouse. Marsala and bourbon trade bright, sweet notes with deep woody hints after simmering off the alcohol. Toasting rye flour rather than plain wheat adds a distinct nuttiness and prevents pasty lumps. Tomato paste is a subtle acid anchor, balancing richness and helping thicken. Slow simmering pulls down stock, concentrating the essence like a thick velvet curtain falling over everything. Pressing veggies through a sieve extracts maximum taste, the thick sauce coats the back of a spoon, clingy and dense. Repeated attempts taught me to go easy with salt until the finish, since reduction amplifies it. This gravy keeps well frozen and reheats without breaking. Ideal for holiday roasts or anytime you want that deep brown hug of comfort.
Ingredients
- 2 branches celery chopped fine
- 3 carrots peeled chopped small
- 1 onion peeled chopped roughly
- 1.3 kg chicken wings
- 5 cloves garlic peeled whole
- 20 ml olive oil
- 1.8 liters homemade chicken broth
- 45 ml Marsala wine
- 25 ml bourbon whiskey
- 80 ml toasted rye flour
- 20 ml tomato paste
- Salt and black pepper fresh ground
About the ingredients
Flour choice is crucial; rye adds complexity and avoids gluten-heavy heaviness. If unavailable, regular wheat flour, toasted golden, works too. Broth from scratch or quality store-bought both okay but homemade means deeper stock flavor. Swapped cognac for bourbon here—bigger punch, woody vanilla undertones that play well with Marsala’s dried fruit vibe. Olive oil dusts veggies so they caramelize and don’t steam. Garlic whole rounds to soften but not burn, avoiding bitter char. If you want more herbs, a sprig of thyme in the pan is welcome, but keep it subtle so it doesn’t overpower. Always prep veggies uniformly so roasting is even. Celery and carrot ratios can vary but celery’s aromatic punch anchors. Tomato paste thickens and sharpens—don’t skip. Alcohols like Marsala and bourbon need reducing; otherwise flavors stay raw and unpleasant. This gravy is naturally gluten-containing; gluten-free cooks should swap flour for a slurry of cornstarch but add late in simmering to avoid grainy bits.
Method
- Set oven rack low. Heat oven to 215 degrees C (420 degrees F).
- Dice celery, carrots, onion. Toss in large roasting pan. Add wings, garlic cloves, drizzle olive oil. Mix to coat, spread out.
- Roast wings and veggies 50 minutes stirring after 25. Watch color, veggies soften and wings crisp and brown nicely.
- Remove pan; transfer contents to heavy pot. Pour 250 ml broth into roasting pan to deglaze, scraping bottom with wooden spoon to lift crusty bits. Add that liquid to pot.
- Pour Marsala and bourbon into pot. Cook medium-high heat 6 minutes to let alcohol burn off; smell deep fruit scents fade to soft sweetness.
- In mixing bowl whisk remaining broth with rye flour and tomato paste until smooth. Pour into pot; stir in reserved liquids.
- Bring to brisk boil then lower heat to gentle simmer. Bubbles breaking, thickening as reducing for about 65 minutes. Sauce coats back of spoon, rich and glossy.
- Remove wings with slotted spoon; let cool enough to debone. Reserve meat, discard bones.
- Push sauce through fine mesh strainer pressing solids hard for max flavor extraction. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill to firm fat layer; skim excess or leave for richness.
- Store in airtight containers or freeze in bags with space for expansion.
- Serve warm with roast poultry, duck, or beef.
Cooking tips
Roasting is the flavor key; browning turns raw chicken blandness into caramelized savor. Stir halfway ensures all sides get heat and prevents burning edges. Broth deglazing captures fond stuck to the pan—don’t scrape aggressively or puree bits or sauce becomes gritty. Alcohol cook-off takes patience; watch steam and smell potency diminishing. Whisking flour into cold stock prevents lumps—paste flour into tiny amount before pouring broth hot, mixing quickly. Simmer low and slow, bubbles gentle, signals sauce thickening—not boiling frantic. Sauce must reduce till it coats spoon’s back; else watery, fails as gravy. Straining thick sauce presses flavor out of veggie fibers, smooths texture. Don’t over skim fat if you want richness; too lean gravy is flat. Use strained wings meat for soup or salad—waste not. Freeze gravy flat in small bags for quick thawing. Reheat gently to avoid breaking sauce; constant stirring helps. Salt only at end; weight loss intensifies seasoning or sauce turns salty. Learn sauce thickness by touch, not timer. Perfect every roast meal with this brown kiss.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Roast celery carrots and onion evenly chopped; uneven sizes mess up caramelization and texture. Celery stalks aromatic, carrot sweet; they need space in pan so air circulates crisp edges. Toss in olive oil enough to gloss but no puddles. Stir halfway through roasting 50 minutes. Watch wings color quick, avoid burning garlic whole cloves by burying them under veggies.
- 💡 Deglaze roasting pan with broth while hot; scraping fond gently. Don’t puree or scrape aggressively, gritty sauce if bits go in raw. Pour Marsala and bourbon into pot off heat initially, heat medium-high slowly about 6 mins. Smell alcohol fade, deep fruit and woody tones emerge. Cut heat if too hot could scorch bourbon flavor fast.
- 💡 Mix rye flour tomato paste into cold broth first; whisk no lumps. Toasted rye crucial to avoid pasty sauce. Pour into simmering pot slow, stirring constantly to integrate. Avoid boiling frantic bubbles here, keep gentle simmer for 65 mins. Bubbles soften to coat back of spoon, sauce thickens gradually; stop early for watery results or cook past thickness for bitter note.
- 💡 Strain sauce using fine mesh pressing solids firmly. Veggie fibers hold deep earthy flavors. Muscle to squeeze fully but don’t force skin or bone bits. Skim fat after chilling; thick layer solidifies, remove excess if you want leaner gravy or leave for richness. Salt last after reduction; too early salt concentrates too much, ends salty. Taste often after 50 mins simmer.
- 💡 Freeze flat in bags allowing expansion, break into portions. Use wings meat in salad or soup leftover. Reheat gently low heat and stir often or sauce breaks, separates. If flour lumps appear in cold storage, whisk in small amount more broth or water hot, then reheat. Rye flour imparts nuttiness keeping sauce distinct from wheat flour version.
Common questions
Can I substitute rye flour?
Yes but must toast it golden beforehand. Plain wheat works too toasted. Cornstarch slurry works gluten-free but add at end slow simmer. Timing changes slightly. Watch thickness closely.
What if sauce is too thin?
Keep simmering low heat; reduction thickens naturally. If impatient, whisk a bit more toasted flour into broth cold and add. Lumps risk if poured hot. Avoid boiling furious bubbles after adding flour.
How to store leftover gravy?
Refrigerate airtight few days, chill till fat solid on top skim if lean wanted. Freeze flat in bags or containers; can freeze chunks frozen faster. Thaw thaw gently room temp or fridge overnight. Stir well reheating low heat not boil or sauce breaks.
Can I use other alcohols?
Marsala and bourbon each have flavor punch. Swapped cognac for bourbon here woody vanilla undertone. Use dry sherry or brandy if needed; reduce same time. Avoid sweet wines that change balance too much or overpower savory.
