Marsala gravy recipe

Create a really special Christmas Day gravy to go with your festive feast with this Marsala gravy recipe.

This is another good recipe for reducing the stress of cooking on the big day. You can do a lot of the work in advance leaving you with just a couple of steps to complete just before serving. It takes just over an hour to make, but only 15 minutes (or less) on the day itself. This is a nicely traditional gravy, using the neck of the turkey and the cooking juices - fantastically flavourful parts that would otherwise get discarded. Sicilian Marsala wine gives it a celebratory flair which makes it feel really special.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, halved
• 1 turkey neck
• 1 tbsp whole peppercorns
• 1 bouquet garni (tied bunch of fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley, bay and rosemary)
• 100ml dry Marsala, plus 25ml extra
• Turkey cooking juices
• 2 tbsp plain flour

Method

1. Put the onion, turkey neck, peppercorns and bouquet garni into a pan with 100ml Marsala and 700ml water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 45 mins. Strain, cool then put in the fridge.
2. When turkey is cooked, spoon the fat from the cooking juices and discard. Place the roasting tray on a medium heat. Add the flour and stir through until there are no lumps, scraping the bottom of the tin as you go. Simmer for 2 mins, then add the stock (you should have 600ml). Bring to the boil. Add the extra 25ml Marsala, then strain into a gravy boat.

Top tips for making marsala gravy

Marsala is a Sicilian fortified wine that will add richness to your gravy – adding a splash at the end makes it even better! If you don’t have a bottle, you can use sherry or red wine instead. 

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