How to Make Gravy is a four-track EP by Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly and was originally released on 4 November 1996[1] on White Label Records in Australia.

The title track was written by Kelly and earned him a 'Song of the Year' nomination at the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Music Awards of 1998.

It tells the story of a newly imprisoned man writing a letter to his brother, in which the prisoner laments that he will be missing the family's Christmas celebrations.

[4] Between March and May 1995 Kelly undertook a seven-week tour of North America, appearing on several dates with Liz Phair and Joe Jackson.

[6] This line-up issued the EP How to Make Gravy, with the title track earning Kelly a 'Song of the Year' nomination at the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Music Awards of 1998.

[13] The lyrics tell the story of a newly imprisoned man writing a letter to his brother, in which the prisoner laments that he will be missing the family's Christmas celebrations.

[9] The same character is the protagonist in earlier songs by Kelly, "To Her Door" (1987) (named "Jack" in the album version) and "Love Never Runs on Time" (1994).

[15] In 1996 Kelly was approached by Lindsay Field, the guitarist and backing vocalist for John Farnham, to perform a Christmas-themed song or carol for a various artists charity record, The Spirit of Christmas, to raise money for the Salvation Army.

[9] The gravy recipe is genuine – Kelly learnt it from his father-in-law: "Just add flour, salt, a little red wine and don't forget a dollop of tomato sauce".

[16] A parody account on X called The Gravy Man has helped to spread the word since 2015, posting humorous profanity-laden memes about the song, including about collecting royalties for it.

Australian folk group All Our Exes Live in Texas also covered the song for Bloodshot Records's "13 Days of Xmas" compilation.

In October 2023, it was announced at Foxtel’s 2024 upfronts the song will be adapted into film which will feature actors Daniel Henshall, Hugo Weaving, Agathe Rouselle, Brenton Thwaites, Damon Herriman and Kate Mulvany.

[23][24] "How to Make Gravy" was nominated as 'Song of the Year' at the 1997 Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) Awards,[25] which was won by Savage Garden's "Truly Madly Deeply".

Allmusic's Tom Hallet praised the track in his review of the US version of Words & Music, "cult maestro Kelly draws on a rich tapestry of characters and true to life situations, and has his finger firmly planted on the universal heartbeat with loose, catchy yarns ... [including one on] Christmas in jail".

[29] Nui Te Koha of Sunday Herald Sun declared "Kelly, an integral part of Melbourne folklore and its music scene, and a noted footy tragic, deserved his place on the Grand Final stage – which has been long overdue ... broadcaster Seven's refusal to show Kelly's performance, except the last verse of 'Leaps and Bounds', was no laughing matter".