Gravy Made Without Meat for Fowls is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic method of making a gravy by stewing fowl giblets and trimming with bread, onions and herbs that's thickened with the fowl liver, butter and black pepper and finished with ketchup. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Gravy Made Without Meat for Fowls.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
GRAVY MADE WITHOUT MEAT FOR FOWLS.
439. INGREDIENTS.—The necks, feet, livers, and gizzards of the fowls, 1 slice of toasted bread, 1/2 onion, 1 faggot of savoury herbs, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 pint of water, thickening of butter and flour, 1 dessertspoonful of ketchup.
Mode.—Wash the feet of the fowls thoroughly clean, and cut them and the neck into small pieces. Put these into a stewpan with the bread, onion, herbs, seasoning, livers, and gizzards; pour the water over them and simmer gently for 1 hour. Now take out the liver, pound it, and strain the liquor to it. Add a thickening of butter and flour, and a flavouring of mushroom ketchup; boil it up and serve.
Time.—1 hour. Average cost, 4d. per pint.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
giblets, gizzards, necks feet and wing-tips of the fowls
1 slice of toasted bread
1/2 onion
1 bunch of savoury herbs
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
300ml water
1 tbsp butter mixed with 1 tbsp plain flour (as a thickening)
1 dessert spoon ketchup
Method:
Wash all the fowl offal then cut the necks, feet and wingtips into small pieces. Combine in a pan with the bread, onion, herbs, seasoning and giblets. Pour over the water and bring to a simmer then cover and cook for 60 minutes.
At this point, take out the liver and pound to a paste. Strain the liquid from the pan and mix with the liver. Return to the pan, bring to a simmer then add the thickening, a little at a time, whisking thoroughly to combine after each addition. Stir in the ketchup, bring the gravy to a boil and serve immediately.
