Mad Maxs Gravy Recipe
- Thread starter Scott S
- Start date
Morgan C.
TVWBB Diamond Member
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/madmaxturkey.htm.
Try this Scott! I know it's been posted on this site before..I think used in conjunction with the JD brined turkey Larry R posted long ago...I couldn't find it but here is a link that has it!
Take care!
Try this Scott! I know it's been posted on this site before..I think used in conjunction with the JD brined turkey Larry R posted long ago...I couldn't find it but here is a link that has it!
Take care!
LarryR
TVWBB Diamond Member
This is my go to gravy recipe. If you read my JD Maple Syrup brine there's some good info/reviews on it. Heavenly stuff. Here's the link to the Jack Daniels and Maple Syrup Brine thread Morgan references - http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?10090-My-Jack-Daniel-s-Maple-Syrup-Brined-Turkey-w-Pics&highlight=jack+daniels+maple
Thanks for the links. I already have the link to the turkey as I have brined mine for the last three years and this one sounds great. This is also the first year with my WSM so looking forward to doing this on Thanksgiving. I think I am going to do one next weekend just to make sure I get it right 
JimK
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Best Gravy Ever!
We had Thanksgiving at our house a few years back and I made it - it was a huge hit. My father now uses it when the Turkey festivities are at my parents' place. This year, it's back at our place. My dad says he's coming over early to help me with the WSM (full turkey w/ Apple brine), Performer (Turkey breast with JD/Maple syrup brine), and Mad Max Gravy.
We had Thanksgiving at our house a few years back and I made it - it was a huge hit. My father now uses it when the Turkey festivities are at my parents' place. This year, it's back at our place. My dad says he's coming over early to help me with the WSM (full turkey w/ Apple brine), Performer (Turkey breast with JD/Maple syrup brine), and Mad Max Gravy.
OK fired up the WSM and used LarryRs brine recipe and also did the gravy. Turkey turned out great and everyone loved it. As for the gravy well I am not so hooked on it. I am not a wine fan and a little hint of it in the gravy turned me off. Not sure if it was that I did not cook it off enough or that's just the way it tastes.
My wife even said she tasted it also so not really sure.
Another note I ended up brining the turkey for almost 48 hours as my smoke day changed so did not want it sitting in the fridge drying for 36 hours. I think when I do my 20lb on Thanksgiving I am going to brine it for 48 also. I also had issues with he smoker holding temp but I think I have it figured out now. That upside down door worked out good I just need to make an adjustable holder for the door now.
Matthew Robertson
New member
This is my first post here. I am probably at the bottom rung of BBQ, but I was a professional chef for years and am pretty good with sauces and French in general. So while I can't contribute anything to BBQ, I can with gravy. That gravy is a very good basic concept recipe... it's mostly spot on conceptually (some minor points like- you don't keep the heat high after adding roux for the alcohol but for the roux- keep the sauce at a roll to keep it from lumping but never at a frantic boil), but if you want to take a little time, here's what I would do in more detail:
A. The stock is the first thing you start in your day (edit: after the bird is cut up!).
1. I take the animal parts off that no one ever eats- usually we have sooo much left over, I cut off the wings and use them for stock. Heat well a heavy sauce pot, add a little oil and when just about to smoke (never smoke oilunless you are blackening something- smoke = burnt)- add the animal parts and get as much brown on them as you can. If using wine- add now and reduce until almost all is gone. Add enough COLD water to cover and simmer. (animal proteins won't ever dissolve in hot water so always start with cold). DO NOT ADD VEGGIES YET!
2. the first thing that dissolves off the animal product is scum and waste, before any real flavor develops. So once it starts to boil, turn it down and let it roll gently until the scum is floating. you should place the pan off to the side of the heat source, so you promote an easy going, rolling convection current that helps bring up the scum where it'll stay on top and collect on one side of the pan. Skim this as it appears. if the scum is just all over, turn down the heat until it starts to collect to one side. You do this first because if you skim out any of the liquid with th scum, it's still really only water. This is a two hour or more process. Go slow and you'll remove the parts that don't taste good and bring out the turkey flavor. Consider it a foundation.
3. The basic vegetables for soups and sauces is called mirepoix. It consists of carrot, onions, celery, leeks.
-So, as your stock simmers, you can focus on the mirepoix- start cutting up your carrots, onions, celery you'll use in other places- a crudite, your stuffing, whatever. and save the tips, the peelings, etc. It takes some planning to know what you have to cut first for later on, but instead of using a whole carrot, etc., in your stock- You can use the left over parts of the other dishes for the stock. Especially the base of the celery and the insides of the celery, and the skins of garlic- those have a ton of flavor.
-Also- I use parsely in and around my food for parties- so reserve stalks of all the herbs you'll be using today. Set them aside. Or later on, if you use some herbs, you can add the stems as you get them.
-Oh, tomato skins, the seeds from tomatoes and the tomato scraps can go in, too, but not a lot- using a bit of your tomato scraps adds a little acidity.
4. Escoffier suggests throughout the simmering process to add enough cold water (like 1/2 cup) to break up the simmer. I do it maybe 5 times over the course of the entire process. He believed that doing so helps bring out the scum, so add some water after as you skim. He's the guy who really revolutionized french food, so I just trust him. So do it several times with just the animal product simmering.
5. once most of the scum has been skimmed (it's fluffy nasty stuff!) add the veggies.
Bring back to a boil then reduce to gentle simmer.
-[We are making a blonde stock for poultry. If you were doing a steak sauce you would want to use a brun stock- so I'd start a new pan, saute off the onions and then the rest of the veggies until as brown as possible. This is the time you'd add the wine and let it reduce till almmost all is evaporated for a rich wine flavor].
6. Skim continually. Add water as described above. you want a gentle simmer here- a rapid boil will rip up the bits of food and make a cloudy stock, a gentle simme will make a clean looking stock. Let it simmer for a good 2 hours (I do up to 4). When done, strain. I just let it simmer until I'm ready for below on a slow roll. the longer, the better.
-Dump the left over stuff and put the liquid back in the pan. Let it simmer and do some final skimming. Again, just let it simmer all day. The less water the more intense flavor.
7. An hour or two before dinner being served, go and get the fat off the juice pan under the bird. There's a saying in culinary school- where's there's fat, there's flavor. That fat is pure turkey flavor! use that in place of the butter in the roux recipe.
8. roux. Here's some conceptual things about roux:
-you want equal parts of flour to fat- you can eye ball it.
-you want to cook it until a nice hazelnut color comes out, constantly stirring on medium heat.
-calculating the amount of roux you will need: a clam chowder thick sauce is a 6-1 ratiob of roux to liquid (if I remember correctly). A thin sauce like we are making is an 8-1 ratio, a real thin sauce is 10-1. So you need to calculate the number of ounces or cups you want to end up with, and then divde that number by 8 to get the amount of roux you need, and then divide again by half for equal parts of flour and fat. So you can now get a better feel about how much roux you need. If too loose, we'll fix that at the end. Too tight, more liquid. We can get the exact thickness later, so don't sweat this step.
9. Making the roux: add the fat and flour in a heavy pan until light or dark color, depending on what you want.
-at this point if you want a some veggies to your sauce add them to the roux and cook until they are starting to brown- like onions, mushrooms, and just at the end -garlic. Try using shallots instead of onions. It gives a more mild onion flavor- French and Italian food uses shallots more than onions.
10. Pour in some hot stock into the hot roux and mix vigorously. Be prepared for an explosion- it'll boil over if not careful. add all the stock.
-Amount of stock to add: it should be at about the amount you'll want to end up with- I guess imagine 4 big ladelfuls per person (?). That's the amount of stock you'll need. Reserve the rest.
11. at this point, the sauce may be slightly thick. It's ok. You don't want to it to be like chowder, but on the thinner side. But don't worry about thickness for now unless it's a big glop. Just add more stock. Once it's simmering, skim. Or, add a bit of cold water as described above to break up the convection motion. simmer and skim.
12. So, Bird's out and you have the liquid (fat removed): add this to the sauce. Stir. Simmer it and give it one more skim if necessary. You have now gone from making a sauce to a gravy!
13. If it's too loose, instead of using flour, use cornstarch: mix equal parts of cornstarch with a liquid (wine, whatever, or just water) and mix with your fingers. Chefs call this a slurry. Slowly pour a little bit into the simmering pot and mix vigorously. Don't boil after adding cornstarch or it'll take on an ugly look- just a light rolling boil is all you want. Maybe skim one more time.
-Why not flour? Because flour really needs an hour of simmering time to cook out that starchy flavor. The corn starch will cook out in 10 minutes, but just be gentle with the simmering.
14. Strain. Check for seasoning. remember- simmering ground pepper amplifies the pepperiness, and salt doesn't evaporate. So don't add salt or pepper until 99% of the simmer is done.
Just as a background as to why my sauce can take 5 or more hours to make- the French have sauces that take literally days to make. they take a considerable amount of bones (usually veal) and roast them, then add the water and simmer, then add roasted vegetables, and let this simmer for 24 hours. French restaurants always have a stock going. They then strain it, and let that reduce slowly, in ever smaller pots, until only 90% is remaining- this is a glace.
Let me know if I'm unclear or you have any questions.
A. The stock is the first thing you start in your day (edit: after the bird is cut up!).
1. I take the animal parts off that no one ever eats- usually we have sooo much left over, I cut off the wings and use them for stock. Heat well a heavy sauce pot, add a little oil and when just about to smoke (never smoke oilunless you are blackening something- smoke = burnt)- add the animal parts and get as much brown on them as you can. If using wine- add now and reduce until almost all is gone. Add enough COLD water to cover and simmer. (animal proteins won't ever dissolve in hot water so always start with cold). DO NOT ADD VEGGIES YET!
2. the first thing that dissolves off the animal product is scum and waste, before any real flavor develops. So once it starts to boil, turn it down and let it roll gently until the scum is floating. you should place the pan off to the side of the heat source, so you promote an easy going, rolling convection current that helps bring up the scum where it'll stay on top and collect on one side of the pan. Skim this as it appears. if the scum is just all over, turn down the heat until it starts to collect to one side. You do this first because if you skim out any of the liquid with th scum, it's still really only water. This is a two hour or more process. Go slow and you'll remove the parts that don't taste good and bring out the turkey flavor. Consider it a foundation.
3. The basic vegetables for soups and sauces is called mirepoix. It consists of carrot, onions, celery, leeks.
-So, as your stock simmers, you can focus on the mirepoix- start cutting up your carrots, onions, celery you'll use in other places- a crudite, your stuffing, whatever. and save the tips, the peelings, etc. It takes some planning to know what you have to cut first for later on, but instead of using a whole carrot, etc., in your stock- You can use the left over parts of the other dishes for the stock. Especially the base of the celery and the insides of the celery, and the skins of garlic- those have a ton of flavor.
-Also- I use parsely in and around my food for parties- so reserve stalks of all the herbs you'll be using today. Set them aside. Or later on, if you use some herbs, you can add the stems as you get them.
-Oh, tomato skins, the seeds from tomatoes and the tomato scraps can go in, too, but not a lot- using a bit of your tomato scraps adds a little acidity.
4. Escoffier suggests throughout the simmering process to add enough cold water (like 1/2 cup) to break up the simmer. I do it maybe 5 times over the course of the entire process. He believed that doing so helps bring out the scum, so add some water after as you skim. He's the guy who really revolutionized french food, so I just trust him. So do it several times with just the animal product simmering.
5. once most of the scum has been skimmed (it's fluffy nasty stuff!) add the veggies.
Bring back to a boil then reduce to gentle simmer.
-[We are making a blonde stock for poultry. If you were doing a steak sauce you would want to use a brun stock- so I'd start a new pan, saute off the onions and then the rest of the veggies until as brown as possible. This is the time you'd add the wine and let it reduce till almmost all is evaporated for a rich wine flavor].
6. Skim continually. Add water as described above. you want a gentle simmer here- a rapid boil will rip up the bits of food and make a cloudy stock, a gentle simme will make a clean looking stock. Let it simmer for a good 2 hours (I do up to 4). When done, strain. I just let it simmer until I'm ready for below on a slow roll. the longer, the better.
-Dump the left over stuff and put the liquid back in the pan. Let it simmer and do some final skimming. Again, just let it simmer all day. The less water the more intense flavor.
7. An hour or two before dinner being served, go and get the fat off the juice pan under the bird. There's a saying in culinary school- where's there's fat, there's flavor. That fat is pure turkey flavor! use that in place of the butter in the roux recipe.
8. roux. Here's some conceptual things about roux:
-you want equal parts of flour to fat- you can eye ball it.
-you want to cook it until a nice hazelnut color comes out, constantly stirring on medium heat.
-calculating the amount of roux you will need: a clam chowder thick sauce is a 6-1 ratiob of roux to liquid (if I remember correctly). A thin sauce like we are making is an 8-1 ratio, a real thin sauce is 10-1. So you need to calculate the number of ounces or cups you want to end up with, and then divde that number by 8 to get the amount of roux you need, and then divide again by half for equal parts of flour and fat. So you can now get a better feel about how much roux you need. If too loose, we'll fix that at the end. Too tight, more liquid. We can get the exact thickness later, so don't sweat this step.
9. Making the roux: add the fat and flour in a heavy pan until light or dark color, depending on what you want.
-at this point if you want a some veggies to your sauce add them to the roux and cook until they are starting to brown- like onions, mushrooms, and just at the end -garlic. Try using shallots instead of onions. It gives a more mild onion flavor- French and Italian food uses shallots more than onions.
10. Pour in some hot stock into the hot roux and mix vigorously. Be prepared for an explosion- it'll boil over if not careful. add all the stock.
-Amount of stock to add: it should be at about the amount you'll want to end up with- I guess imagine 4 big ladelfuls per person (?). That's the amount of stock you'll need. Reserve the rest.
11. at this point, the sauce may be slightly thick. It's ok. You don't want to it to be like chowder, but on the thinner side. But don't worry about thickness for now unless it's a big glop. Just add more stock. Once it's simmering, skim. Or, add a bit of cold water as described above to break up the convection motion. simmer and skim.
12. So, Bird's out and you have the liquid (fat removed): add this to the sauce. Stir. Simmer it and give it one more skim if necessary. You have now gone from making a sauce to a gravy!
13. If it's too loose, instead of using flour, use cornstarch: mix equal parts of cornstarch with a liquid (wine, whatever, or just water) and mix with your fingers. Chefs call this a slurry. Slowly pour a little bit into the simmering pot and mix vigorously. Don't boil after adding cornstarch or it'll take on an ugly look- just a light rolling boil is all you want. Maybe skim one more time.
-Why not flour? Because flour really needs an hour of simmering time to cook out that starchy flavor. The corn starch will cook out in 10 minutes, but just be gentle with the simmering.
14. Strain. Check for seasoning. remember- simmering ground pepper amplifies the pepperiness, and salt doesn't evaporate. So don't add salt or pepper until 99% of the simmer is done.
Just as a background as to why my sauce can take 5 or more hours to make- the French have sauces that take literally days to make. they take a considerable amount of bones (usually veal) and roast them, then add the water and simmer, then add roasted vegetables, and let this simmer for 24 hours. French restaurants always have a stock going. They then strain it, and let that reduce slowly, in ever smaller pots, until only 90% is remaining- this is a glace.
Let me know if I'm unclear or you have any questions.
Matthew Robertson
New member
One thing I want to try: if you make the stock and reduce it to about 25% of what you started with, i was indefinetly in the freezer because there's little moisture to dehydrate- and no freezer burn. So if you have turkey a few times a year, take all the turkey parts at the end of the night or a few days later and make a stock, reduce it down and freeze it for the next time you have turkey.... the intensity will blow you away!
My wife hates turkey so i only get to cook it once a year
My wife hates turkey so i only get to cook it once a year
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