Recipe Manuscript

To Make Brown Gravy

Name: To Make Brown Gravy
Prep time: PTPT10M
Cook time: PTPT1H30M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1–2 kg beef, mutton, veal, or poultry (chicken, duck, etc.); 500–700 ml water

1720

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of 1720

Unknown Author

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Beginner Dinner Lunch Other

Original Recipe • 1720

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Make Brown Gravy

"When you rost beef mutton veal or fowls or have basted them put into your driping pan water more or less in proportion to ye quantity of meat you rost, ye intention of puting ye water in ye driping pan is to make good gravy for all brown sauces if you wou'd have your brown sauce rich you must put less water in your driping pan, when you want ye gravy break ye fat that is caked over ye top in ye pot you first put it in. This brown gravy will always be ready for use"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the rather loose, conversational style typical of the period, with little in the way of measured quantities or precise timing—'more or less' is the theme. Spellings such as 'rost' (roast), 'ye' (the), and 'ye driping pan' (the dripping pan) reflect English orthography in the early 1700s, before standardized spelling. Directions assume the reader knows basic kitchen procedures and is cooking over a hearth.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of 1720 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of 1720 (1720)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1720

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step back to the early 18th century and discover a delightful treasury of recipes and culinary secrets, where traditional flavors meet timeless technique—a feast for curious cooks and history lovers alike.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from the early 18th century, around 1720, a period when home cooks relied on roasting to extract the natural flavors from meat. Brown gravy, the savory essence collected beneath the roast, was the backbone of many sauces and a testament to resourceful kitchen practice—no drippings went to waste. The cook tailored the richness to her needs by adjusting the water, always keeping a supply ready for sauces or to enrich other dishes.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Back then, the meat would be roasted on a spit or in a hearth oven, with a wide, shallow dripping pan placed beneath to catch the precious juices. Pots and ladles made of brass or copper were common, as were skimmers to lift the fat. The gravy was stored in simple earthenware or metal pots, always at hand for the next meal.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 30 mins

Servings

Ingredients

2–4 lbs beef, mutton, veal, or poultry (chicken, duck, etc.)
2–3 cups water

Instructions

To make a classic brown gravy following this 18th-century technique, roast beef, mutton, veal, or poultry (about 2–4 lbs of meat) in a standard oven at 350°F.
Place a roasting pan underneath the meat and add 2–3 cups of water, depending on how concentrated you want your gravy—less water for a richer result.
As the meat cooks, its juices and fat will drip into the pan.
Once the meat is done, allow the pan juices to cool slightly.
Skim off the fat that rises and solidifies on top, saving the flavorful brown gravy beneath for your sauces and stews.
This method yields a versatile base you can refrigerate and use as needed.

Estimated Calories

30 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It will take about 10 minutes to get your ingredients and oven ready, and the meat should be roasted for around 1.5 hours. This recipe makes enough gravy base for about 8 servings, and each serving has roughly 30 calories since it's mainly the juices skimmed of most fat.