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Thicken with flour or corn starch?

I use pork broth, because of my beef allergy, and I've thickened with flour in the past - about 1 tablespoon per cup. I also add a touch of malt vinegar. Got to wondering how the real stuff is thickened?

Flour would be the norm. The joint is removed from the roasting pan which is then put on the hob and all but a couple of tablespoons of the fat spooned off. Flour is mixed then mixed with the remaining fat/juice and stock (and wine, beer etc) added to form the gravy.

You can buy gravy salts (very dark brown caramel) to colour it. I just use a drop or two of dark soy sauce - you don't actually need anything though.

An alternative is to use a bought mix of caramelised (very dark brown) sugar and cornflour called Bisto - it gives a very dark brown gravy. Or, there's also instant gravy mixes that you just add boiling water to - revolting stuff.

On occasion when I have ran out of Bisto, I have used instant coffee. This achieves the same effect but it also adds that mysterious hint of something that raises eyebrows when some taste it.

To make my gravy I boil potatoes in salted water, when nearly cooked lift them out for roasting. Then I cook my carrots and swedes in the same water to add depth. This 'stock' is reserved for making the gravy. When cooking the joint, place alongside an onion cut in half - face down. During cooking, it will caramelise and give colour to the finished gravy. Remove the cooked joint, leave or take off as much fat as you want, leaving behind the brown juices. Place on heat and add cornflour (starch) and stir to make a roux, giving it a couple of minutes to cook out. Then add the stock stirring continuously, before pouring everything through a sieve. Next take a wooden spoon and push the cooked onion through the sieve into the gravy. This will thicken and add flavour.

Some great advice there Yotman.

Phil