🧅 Professional Kitchen · Sauces
Rich Onion Gravy
A glossy production gravy combining caramelised onions, veal jus, chicken stock, thyme and garlic.
Behind the plate
Onion gravy earns its depth before the liquid enters the pot. Starting with properly caramelised onions gives the sauce sweetness and roasted character, while veal jus supplies the body expected from a restaurant gravy.
Arrowroot is used only at the end, after the natural reduction is complete. This keeps the finish clean and lets the cook judge the true thickness before adding a measured slurry.
Why this recipe works
Veal jus contributes gelatin and savoury concentration, chicken stock lightens the base, and caramelised onion rounds both. Simmering with thyme and garlic unifies the flavours before arrowroot provides final service consistency.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 800 g prepared caramelised onions (approximately 15 large onions before cooking)
- 1 litre veal jus
- 800 ml chicken stock
- 22 g chicken stock paste or bouillon
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- Fine salt, to taste
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- Arrowroot, calculated at 16 g per litre of finished liquid
- Cold water, as needed to make the arrowroot slurry
Method
- Place the prepared caramelised onions in a heavy-based saucepan with the veal jus, chicken stock, chicken paste, garlic and thyme.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes so the flavours combine and the liquid reduces slightly.
- Remove the thyme stems. Taste before adding salt, then correct the seasoning with salt and cracked black pepper.
- Measure the liquid so the arrowroot can be calculated accurately at 16 g per litre. Mix the arrowroot with enough cold water to form a smooth slurry.
- Whisk the slurry gradually into the simmering gravy until the required coating consistency is reached. Stop before it becomes gummy.
- Serve immediately, hold hot according to kitchen procedure, or cool rapidly in shallow containers before refrigeration.
Chef’s notes
- The caramelised onions are a separate preparation and should not be replaced automatically with the linked balsamic onions, which are sweeter and more acidic.
- Stock paste, jus and chicken stock can all contain salt. Taste only after the sauce has reduced.
- Arrowroot thickens quickly and can thin again under prolonged hard boiling, so add it near the end.
- Calculate arrowroot against the actual finished liquid volume, not the starting volume.
At the table
Serve with sausages and mash, roast chicken, grilled pork or a savoury stuffing portion.