Sir Cliff Richard hit the headlines this week when she boldly claimed she had The recipe for the ‘world’s greatest gravy’.
The 84-year-old music legend eschews the traditional method of mixing the juices from the grill with a dash of wine and instead goes for a more obscure recipe.
They combine eight cubes of stock from a variety of flavors – including lamb, chicken, beef and vegetables – with hot water.
Then they add two fried onions to the mix, along with teriyaki, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
Many famous chefs were quick to question the recipe, including Tom Brown, Michelin star chef and owner of the Pearly Queen oyster bar in the east. Londoncalling it ‘very bad’.
Now, scientists have joined the fray – and say Cliff may be on to something with his recipe.
Dr Nathan Kilah, a food scientist at the University of Tasmaniathey say that adding ingredients like teriyaki, soy and Worcestershire sauce to your gravy ‘can enhance the flavor profile.’
‘These ingredients will enhance its flavor through sweetness (sugar), acidity (vinyl, citric and malic acids), and umami. Some people even add Vegemite to the gravy to add umami,” he explained in an article on. Discussion.
Sir Cliff Richard hit the headlines this week after he boldly claimed he had the recipe for the “world’s greatest gravy”.
According to Dr Kilah, the basis of any good gravy is the liquid from your roasting tray.
‘Burning meat causes the fat to “give” and separate from the meat as water,’ he explained.
‘Pools of oil in a tray with aromatic animal juices.’
Although both oil and water have flavorings, Dr Kilah warns that too much oil can make your urine taste ‘unpleasant to the mouth’.
‘It’s a good idea to pour the pan water into the pan to separate the oil from the water so you can control the amount of oil you’re adding,’ he advises.
Although meat juices form the basis of any good gravy, Dr Kilah says your vegetables are also important.
‘One fragrance that is known to have a “scented smell” is known as 3-mercapto-2-methylpentan-1-ol,’ he explained.
‘This ingredient comes from roasted vegetables, so adding some vegetables to your roasting pan will give you a much deeper flavor.’
Scientists intervened in the debate – and said that Cliff may be on to something with his recipe
After combining the juices of the meat and vegetables, the next thing you can add is flour, which helps to make your batter stronger.
What starch do you use if you have it with you, although Dr Kilah recommends choosing corn or arrowroot starch.
‘(Corn and arrowroot) have more starch than flour and a neutral flavour,’ he said.
‘Wheat starch needs to be added and cooked for a long time to make a paste.’
Whatever starch you choose to use, add this to your meat and vegetable juices in moderation, or you could be putting your muscles at risk.
Salt is the next thing to add, although Dr Kilah cautions that you should taste as you go.
“Pan juices are usually part of the gravy process,” he said.
‘Make sure you taste the stew before you season it, just as salt is added with heat.’
Finally, the scientist recommends adding a glug of red wine, and a dollop of ketchup.
‘Additional flavoring components can be introduced by adding red wine, sherry, stock, or tomato sauce,’ he added.
‘These ingredients will enhance its flavor through sweetness (sugar), acidity (wine vinegar, citric and malic acid), and umami like tomato sauce (natural glutamates, like those found in MSG).
‘Some people add Vegemite to gravy to add umami.’
If you taste your last meal and you’re not happy with it – don’t panic.
According to Dr Kilah, the latest powder is an effective method.
‘The advantage of the instant version is the speed and consistency because they carefully controlled the production of the product,’ he added.
‘The soup will always taste the same, no matter who makes it.’
