My Lamb Gravy recipe will give you a rich gravy that can be made with or without pan drippings. A fast and easy sauce for lamb dishes!
Lamb Gravy is a staple in our house, we eat a lot of lamb around here! Some times you might want a sauce for lamb but not have pan juices to work with, so today I thought I would share with you my recipe for making lamb gravy whether you have pan drippings/juices or not.
For either method, it's a really simple process that involves only 3 basic things - fat, flour and stock. And salt, can't forget the salt - so maybe 4!
Ideally, I think we would all agree that gravy is best made with the pan juices/drippings from a roast so that you can use the caramelized bits on the base of the pan for maximum flavour, but you can also make a rich, tasty sauce for lamb without those pan juices.
Not all lamb dishes are roasted in the oven, and you may still want a lamb sauce, but not have the meat drippings. This recipe enables you to make a flavoursome red wine gravy for lamb with or without those pan juices.
Ingredients you will need for this recipe
- Butter (or fat from your baking pan if making with pan drippings)
- plain/all-purpose flour
- lamb stock
- salt
- red wine (optional)
*Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions
How to make this gravy recipe without pan drippings.
- Melt the butter in a small heavy-based saucepan.
- Add the flour and combine.
- Mix over low heat until the mixture starts to look grainy, a bit like wet sand.
- Add red wine and mix over low heat for 1-2 minutes (if using).
- Add the stock gradually, mixing well after each addition making sure there are no lumps before you add more stock.
- Keep stirring until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens.
How to make this gravy recipe with pan drippings.
- Take the pan your roast lamb has cooked in and remove fat, reserving around 2-3 tbsp of fat in the pan.
- Put the roasting pan on the stove over a low heat, and when the fat is hot add the flour and continue as above but in the roasting pan rather than a saucepan.
My top tips for making this recipe
- If you are making gravy without the pan drippings then I would use lamb stock as per the recipe. If your gravy is going to be made using pan drippings then lamb or beef stock will both be fine, depending on your taste and what's available. If you would like to make your own lamb stock (it's not that hard!) you will find my recipe for that here.
- Cooking the fat and flour mixture before you gradually add the red wine (if using) and stock is important. This helps the gravy not have a raw, floury taste.
- If you will be making this gravy with pan juices and there isn't enough fat in the pan just add some butter.
- When you use the baking pan method, be sure to scrape up all the flavour spots on the base of the pan and incorporate these in your gravy.
- I haven't used any herbs in this gravy because the lamb stock I have used has herbs, and when I make a pan sauce for a lamb leg or lamb shoulder I cook the joint with herbs so that the pan drippings will be flavoured with herbs too.
- Remember that the gravy will thicken on standing/cooling.
Serving suggestions and ideas for add-ins
- I have added red wine into this lamb gravy, but that is totally optional. Still tastes great without it.
- If you are serving your gravy in a gravy boat it's a good idea to heat the gravy boat beforehand so it doesn't cool your gravy for serving.
- Perfect for making roast lamb and gravy rolls.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder - moist, tender, pull-apart roast lamb that is so soft it shreds with just two forks.
Moroccan Style Lamb Shanks - soft, tender lamb shanks, slow-cooked in moroccan spices until the meat just falls away from the bone!
Lamb Cutlets (Lollipops) with Herbs - juicy lamb cutlets with a simple fresh herb and garlic crust grilled to perfection.
Lamb Gravy With or Without Pan Drippings
Ingredients
- 500 ml lamb stock 2 cups (see my notes)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp fine salt extra to taste
- 60 ml dry red wine ¼ cup (optional)
Instructions
Method for gravy WITHOUT pan juices
- Melt the butter (2 tbsp) in a small heavy based saucepan.
- Add the plain/all-purpose flour (3 tbsp) and mix to combine. Cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture starts to look grainy, a bit like wet sand. Them remove from the heat.
- Add the dry red wine (60ml/¼ cup) to the flour mixture and mix over low heat for 1-2 minutes (if using). The mixture will look like play doh!
- Add the lamb stock (500ml/2 cups) gradually, mixing well after each addition making sure there are no lumps before you add more stock.
- Keep stirring until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens. Add fine salt (½ tsp) or more to taste and serve.
Method for gravy WITH pan juices
- Take the pan your roast lamb has been cooked in and remove fat, reserving around 2-3 tbsp of fat in the pan.
- Put the roasting pan on the stove over a low heat, and when the fat is hot add the plain/all-purpose flour (3 tbsp) and continue as above at step 2, but in the roasting pan rather than a saucepan.
Notes
- If you are making gravy without the pan drippings then I would use lamb stock as per the recipe. If your gravy is going to be made using pan drippings then lamb or beef stock will both be fine, depending on your taste and what's available. If you would like to make your own lamb stock (it's not that hard!) you will find my recipe for that here.
- Cooking the fat and flour mixture before you gradually add the red wine (if using) and stock is important. This helps the gravy not have a raw, floury taste.
- If you will be making this gravy with pan juices and there isn't enough fat in the pan just add some butter.
- When you use the baking pan method, be sure to scrape up all the flavour spots on the base of the pan and incorporate these in your gravy.
- I haven't used any herbs in this gravy because the lamb stock I have used has herbs, and when I make a pan sauce for a lamb leg or lamb shoulder I cook the joint with herbs so that the pan drippings will be flavoured with herbs too.
- Remember that the gravy will thicken on standing/cooling.
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