Short answer: stop skimming and pour it through a fat separator, ideally one that drains from the bottom.
The juices in the roasting tin are the best thing you’ll put in your gravy, far better than any stock cube. They just come with a thick layer of fat on top, and if that goes in too you get a greasy slick that sets on the plate as it cools. Tilting the tin and spooning the fat off sort of works, but it takes ages, you lose a fair bit of the good stuff, and you’re doing it while the meat is resting and everything else wants your attention.
A separator makes it a one-pour job. Fat is lighter than the juices, so give them a minute in a jug and it floats to the top. The OXO Good Grips Good Gravy separator drains from the bottom instead of the top. You pour the tin juices in through the built-in strainer, which catches the burnt bits and stray herbs. Wait a moment, then squeeze the handle. That opens a valve in the base, the juices run out underneath, and you let go once the fat layer reaches the bottom. The fat stays in the jug.
Older separators have a long spout that starts low down on the side. They work, but the spout is a nightmare to clean and I’ve never managed to pour one without a bit of fat sneaking in at the end. With a bottom release you can see exactly when to stop, because the jug is clear and you’re watching the line come down.
It holds 4 cups, which is about a litre. That’s plenty for a Sunday roast and still manageable for Christmas. The side has markings in cups, ounces and millilitres, so it doubles as a measuring jug when you’re topping the juices up with stock. The valve is silicone and seals snugly, so it doesn’t drip on the worktop between pours. The drain sits on the outside rather than inside a long spout, so there’s no narrow channel to scrub out afterwards.
I wouldn’t keep it just for Sundays either. Homemade stock is the other obvious use, since it always seems to come out with more fat on top than you’d think.
