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paul kelly how to make gravy

“How to Make Gravy” is a beloved Paul Kelly Christmas song told as a letter from a man in prison to his family, famous both for its emotional storytelling and its cheeky “gravy recipe” line: “Just add flour, salt, a little red wine / And don’t forget a dollop of tomato sauce.”

Quick Scoop

  • Core idea: A Christmas song without a chorus, written as a stream‑of‑consciousness letter from Joe (in prison) to his brother Dan on 21 December.
  • Why it hits so hard: It mixes homesickness, regret, jealousy, humour and mundane family details, which makes it feel intensely real and relatable.
  • The “gravy recipe”: The song’s throwaway instructions for gravy are based on a real family recipe Paul Kelly picked up from his father‑in‑law: flour, salt, a little red wine and tomato sauce for sweetness and tang.
  • Gravy Day (21 December): In Australia, 21 December is widely nicknamed “Gravy Day” because that’s the date Joe writes the letter in the song, and fans now mark it each year with listens, posts and memes.
  • Ongoing legacy: The track has become a modern Christmas standard in Australia, regularly referenced in media and online forums every December, especially after the COVID years gave its “separated at Christmas” theme new resonance.

The “How to Make Gravy” Recipe Vibe

Within the story, Joe imagines someone else attempting his trademark gravy and gives his half‑serious instructions: just add flour, salt, some red wine and a dollop of tomato sauce for sweetness and tang. Fans often treat this as a starting point and then:

  • Build a pan gravy from meat juices, browning flour in fat before adding stock and wine.
  • Add tomato‑based ingredients (tomato paste or sauce) for that “extra tang” Kelly sings about.

Many home cooks on forums now post their own “Paul Kelly gravy” riffs every December, tweaking the mix of flour, pan juices, wine, and tomato or even adding cream, while still quoting those famous lyrics.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.