Gordon Ramsay’s turkey gravy is made from the roasting tray: bacon, onions and lemon from inside the bird, reduced with dry cider and chicken stock. The recipe comes from his Ultimate Christmas book and takes about 30 minutes while the turkey rests.
The recipe sits next to his roast turkey in the same chapter, because the gravy depends on everything that comes out of the bird. In the video Ramsay calls it the one thing that pulls the whole Christmas dinner together on the plate.
What sets this apart from most turkey gravies is there is no flour, no roux and no thickener at all. The body comes from reduction: the cider and stock simmer until the liquid halves, concentrating all the flavour left in the roasting tray.
Gordon Ramsay’s Turkey Gravy with Cider and Walnuts
Course: SauceCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy8
servings5
minutes30
minutes50
kcal35
minutesRamsay’s cider and walnut gravy from the same Christmas book chapter as his roast turkey. No flour or cornflour: the bacon, onions, lemon and turkey trimmings are crushed with a potato masher, then the whole tray is reduced with dry cider and chicken stock. Crushed walnuts in the gravy boat add a nutty crunch with every pour.
Ingredients
- From the roasted turkey:
Bacon rashers from the breast
2 roasted onions from the cavity, chopped
1 roasted lemon from the cavity, chopped
Turkey wing tips, parson’s nose and drumstick tips
- Additional:
3 rosemary sprigs
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 litre (4¼ cups) good-quality dry cider
600ml (2½ cups) good-quality chicken stock
2 tbsp walnut pieces, toasted
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Drain the tray: Once the turkey is resting, drain off most of the fat from the roasting tray and place it on the hob over medium heat.
- Fry the base: Roughly chop the bacon and fry in the tray for a few minutes. Add the chopped onions, lemon, 2 rosemary sprigs and tomatoes. Cook for 1–2 minutes, then add the turkey trimmings and fry for a few more minutes.
- Add the cider: Pour in the dry cider and bring to the boil. Add the resting juices from the turkey and simmer to reduce the liquid by half.
- Add the stock: Pour in the chicken stock, return to the boil, then reduce the heat. Using a potato masher, crush the vegetables and turkey pieces in the tray. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced by a third.
- Strain: Push through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing down on the solids with a ladle to extract every last drop. Add a fresh rosemary sprig and leave to infuse for a few minutes.
- Serve: Remove the rosemary. Coarsely crush the walnuts and tip into a warmed gravy boat. Pour the piping hot gravy over the walnuts and serve at once.
Notes
- This gravy depends on the roasted turkey for most of its ingredients. If your turkey did not have bacon or onions, add them separately. The cider gives the gravy its distinctive apple sweetness.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay use cider and walnuts in his turkey gravy?
The cider adds a subtle apple sweetness that lifts the turkey, which is why he uses dry cider rather than wine. In the video he pours in a full litre and lets it reduce while the roasting juices go in. The apple flavour concentrates as the liquid thickens.
The walnuts are the surprise. They don’t go into the sauce: Ramsay crushes them into the gravy boat before pouring the hot liquid over. Each pour gives you a little crunch alongside his cranberry sauce on the plate.
Can you make Ramsay’s turkey gravy ahead of time?
No, because the ingredients come from the roasted turkey itself. The bacon from the breast, the onions and lemon from the cavity, even the wing tips: none exist until the bird is done. This is not a gravy you can batch cook and freeze.
What you can do is have everything else measured and ready. A litre of cider, 600ml stock, chopped tomatoes, rosemary and the walnuts can all sit on the worktop while the turkey roasts. Once the bird comes out, the gravy takes about 30 minutes.
Does Ramsay use flour or giblets in this gravy?
Neither. Most gravies start with a roux or use cornflour to thicken, but Ramsay skips both. Instead he crushes the fried vegetables and turkey trimmings with a potato masher, which releases their starch and body into the liquid.
The trimmings are the bits most people throw away. In the YouTube video he snaps off the wings, pulls off the parson’s nose and cuts the drumstick tips. He fries them hard in the tray because they pack what he calls “bang flavour” into the base.
What if I did not roast my turkey Ramsay’s way?
You still need a roasting tray with drippings, which any roast turkey will give you. If your bird did not have bacon on the breast, fry 4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon separately. If there were no onions or lemon inside, add 2 chopped onions and a lemon fresh.
The cider and chicken stock do the heavy lifting, so the gravy will still work. If you dry brined and then roasted, as described in his turkey brine guide, you will have plenty of drippings. The salt draws moisture to the surface, which bastes the bird as it cooks.
How much gravy does this recipe make?
About 800ml to a litre of finished gravy, enough for 8-10 people with Christmas dinner. You start with a litre of cider and 600ml stock, but it reduces by more than half during 15-20 minutes of simmering. It looks like too much liquid at first, but the reduction is what builds all the body.
If you need more, add extra chicken stock rather than more cider. Too much apple flavour would overpower the turkey, and the stock adds body without changing the balance. Serve it alongside his Brussels sprouts with pancetta and the cranberry sauce for the full plate.
